The Godfist of Remnant
by smilingsamurai
Summary: Jaune Arc was never seen as a fighter by his family. And so, they never instructed him. However, his life changes when he meets a mysterious man with seven bullet-shaped scars on his chest, who trains him in the ways of the martial arts. After four years of his tutelage, Jaune comes to Beacon, wielding powers and techniques unlike any Huntsman. (Major canon divergence, OP Jaune)
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This idea has been sort of swimming around in my head, but it took a while to refine enough to write. Old school anime and manga fans will of course recognize who the man with seven scars is. However, he won't be featuring much in the story. After all, this is centred around Jaune and the RWBY cast. Please note that this story will diverge majorly from canon, not only in events during and after Volume 2, but also Remnant lore. And that's about all for now! Let's get this show on the road.**

**Prologue**

"I'm sorry, son. You just don't have it."

Those words broke Jaune's heart. He stared in dismay at the one who had uttered them: the one person he had always looked up to above all others, the one he had always told himself he wanted to be like. His own father. Ever since he was a child, Jaune Arc had known that his family had been renowned hunters for many generations. Warriors. Protectors. Heroes. And he wanted to carry on that legacy. Be one of them. Early on, his parents had encouraged it. But soon afterwards, he was surpassed by his sisters, all of whom showed a natural affinity towards combat and movement that he wasn't able to emulate. Although fairly fit and healthy, and a quick study, his parents simply couldn't see in him the exceptional natural physical strength, agility or combat instinct that his sisters possessed. So they worried about him. And… they didn't want him venturing anywhere near a battlefield.

Their intentions were good. Not everyone has to be a fighter, after all. But they had no idea how much that fact weighed down on Jaune.

It had all come to a head on this day: Jaune's thirteenth birthday. Since his parents had never formally trained him, or allowed him to apply for combat school, Jaune was self taught, following various training regimens that he had studied. He had begged his father for a chance, to test him, to see if he was worthy. Reluctantly, he had agreed, and the two had sparred, ending, predictably, in a defeat for Jaune. He hadn't really expected to win, of course. He just wanted to prove his worth. Enough that Arc senior would agree to train him. All those hopes were dashed, of course.

"Father, I-"

"I'm sorry, Jaune. I can't do it. I can't encourage you to go further with this, knowing all the time that you're putting yourself in danger by doing it. We will not speak of this again."

Immediately after the words had left his mouth, he realized he had sounded harsher than he meant to. He began to apologize, but it was too late. Jaune had turned away, and was taking off the training armour.

"Son-"

"It's all right, Dad. I get it."

Hanging up the breastplate, gauntlets and greaves, he unhooked the practice blade from his belt and placed it on its resting place on the wall of the family training room. Having done this, he walked away, not glancing back at the man he had idolized all these years. Every boy learns one day that his parents are only human, and have flaws of their own. Jaune had learnt that lesson on this day, perhaps before he was mature enough to deal with it, or forgive his father for it.

For the moment, he didn't want to think about any of this. His mind felt numb. All this time, he thought he had made progress. Had toiled away on his own, desperately studying online, using videos to correct his own form and technique, trying to learn and improve. And today, all of that had been proven meaningless, or so he thought. In truth, Jaune had improved. He had improved as much as a thirteen year old could be expected to on his own, without a mentor present to guide him, or opponents for live sparring. All of this, of course, was unknown to him, so he harshly rebuked himself, beating himself up all the way back to his room.

_It's useless. I can't do it, can I?_

He was exhausted mentally, and battered physically. His father had held back, but he was a trained huntsman, and there was only so much he could reduce the power in his blows. Taking off his shirt, Jaune inspected his body. There were no visible bruises at least. Sighing, he decided to take a shower and change his clothes. When he came out of the bathroom, he found his least favourite sister waiting for him.

Lili, also thirteen, was his twin, and certainly, the two had matching appearances: both slender and athletic, with blue eyes and blonde hair. But that was about where the similarities ended. Where Jaune was straightforward, often bumbling, and occasionally hotheaded, Lili was cunning, most often calculating and sarcastic. A lot of the time, Jaune was almost sure he disliked her.

"'Sup, bro. It appears you've had your ass kicked by Dad."

Other times, he was _certain_ he hated her.

He grunted in response. While she was normally able to provoke him into entering arguments with her, he was not in the mood for her games today.

"Go away, Lili."

She frowned. This new, passive-aggressive version of her brother was not one she liked.

"Okay, so you're a little angry. It was only expected, you know. You didn't actually think-"

"No, I didn't," he interrupted, patience having worn thin. "I knew I was going to lose. I just thought I'd at least show him I was worth something. Guess I was wrong. You can laugh now."

She didn't. Despite the constant teasing, she actually did care about her brother, and it wasn't fun seeing him like this. Like everyone around him except himself, she could see that what he lacked as a fighter, he more than made up for in many other ways. Honestly, having him around cheered everyone up, which is why she constantly found excuses to hang out with him.

"Bro-"

"Please. Just leave me alone."

The way in which he said those words sent a chill down her spine. None of the warmth that was so typical of him was in his voice. Even when he was angry, you could tell there was nothing truly malicious in him, no venom or lasting hatred. He would get over it, and soon enough, be smiling again. This time was different. He wasn't shouting or screaming. He wasn't angry. There was a coldness to his voice as he turned away from her.

Lips trembling slightly, she left the room, fully intending to talk to her father about what he might have said to him.

Jaune lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Having nothing to do, he would normally play a video game or read a book. Today, he just didn't feel like it. He decided to go outside. Still unwilling to think about what had just happened, he just wanted something to take his mind off it.

He was able to make his way out of the house without running into anybody, for which he was thankful. He wasn't in the mood for conversation. Once outside, he simply followed his feet, allowing them to take him where they would, without any particular destination in mind. He walked on and on, unthinking, not really paying attention to the world around him. Blocks passed by, until finally, feeling slightly tired, he paused.

This was further from his home than he had ventured in a long time. He was on the outskirts of town now: and the forests beyond were in his sight. Even though it was a bright afternoon, the woods seemed dark and foreboding.

This was the edge of civilization, at least, the town where he lived. Beyond this, there was a very real chance he would run into Grimm.

_Come on. There's no way that's going to happen. They don't come this close to the walls. _

Yet, a part of him warned not to trust that fact. Warned him that if he stepped beyond the walls, he would be in the wilds.

His heart was beating faster.

_Okay. No need to do something stupid. I'm not actually thinking of going outside. _

He took a deep breath to calm down. Yes. There was no reason to go outside. He had just been told by someone he looked up to that there was no chance of him achieving his dream. Yes, it hurt, but it wasn't the end of the world. He wasn't going to do anything drastic.

Just as he came to that conclusion, and was about to go back home, his eyes caught sight of a figure emerging from the woods.

Eyes widening slightly, Jaune stared at it, entranced, as it moved forward. As it came into the clearing, into sunlight, Jaune could see that it was a human, a man. However, in the dark, he wouldn't have been surprised if he had mistaken him for a Grimm.

The man was huge: standing well over six feet tall, larger than anyone Jaune had laid eyes on. It wasn't just his height either. He was broad and muscular, arms and legs the thickness of small tree trunks. His torso formed a powerful v-shaped taper, with wide shoulders, revealing him to be of athletic build. Despite his impressive physique, however, he was clad in rags: a torn hooded cloak that shrouded his face in shadow. Dust and dirt coated his attire in many places, and he walked with a stumbling gait.

It was obvious he was exhausted.

At that moment, Jaune didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know what made him move. But he ran forward. Beyond the walls of the town.

He made it just in time, as the man nearly toppled over. Jaune wasn't strong enough to carry his weight, but it was possibly the sight of the small boy coming forward to help him that gave the man the will to hold firm and stay upright. Jaune allowed him to lean on him slightly.

"Hey! You all right, mister?"

"... water…", the man murmured, voice barely audible.

"There's plenty of water inside. Come on. Just a little bit more."

Continuing to allow him to lean against his shoulder, the boy helped the giant of a man into town. The two walked for a bit until they came to a bench, where Jaune told him to sit while he ran to a convenience store. He returned in moments with a bottle of water, and held it out to him. The man unscrewed the cap and drank voraciously, emptying the bottle in seconds. Leaning back, he pushed back his hood and took a deep breath, revealing his face in its entirety for the first time.

He was surprisingly good looking, albeit in an unusual way, his features not matching those of any ethnicity Jaune was familiar with. He had a strong jaw, high cheekbones, and sharp eyes that seemed somehow simultaneously deep as oceans, and swift as razors. With his cloak moved aside, Jaune could see a leather jacket underneath. His chest was visible, and on it, Jaune saw several gruesome scars. They looked like bullet wounds: circular depressions, ridged with raised flesh. The boy winced slightly at the sight of them.

Looking at the man again, he could see that there was a grizzled quality to him. And he had come out of the woods alone. He had to be a Huntsman.

"Hey, do you need to contact the local guild? You could come to my home. My Dad's the chief-"

"Guild?", the man asked, clearly clueless what Jaune was talking about.

"Huntsman's Guild," Jaune clarified. When the stranger's face showed no recognition, he frowned.

"You know, Huntsman? Sort of… like you… I think? You are a Huntsman, right?"

"I hunt on occasion. But I doubt I'm what you're thinking about."

"Huntsman!" Jaune exclaimed. Never before had he met someone who didn't know what they were. "Warriors roaming the wilds, carrying weapons, protecting people from the monsters, the Grimm? It seems like you ran into some-"

He stopped immediately when he realized what he was saying.

The bullet-wounds on his chest suggested that his unpleasant encounter hadn't been with Grimm. It had been with someone wielding a gun.

_All right, Jaune. Keep calm. There are only two kinds of people in the wild. Huntsmen… and bandits. This guy obviously isn't a Huntsman. So that leaves…_

"You're far too nervous," the man noted, interrupting his thoughts. He looked at Jaune with knowing eyes. "While it's a good idea to be cautious, I mean you no harm."

Jaune stared at him sceptically.

"How'd you get those wounds?" he blurted out.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. There's no reason for him to answer that honestly! I should run now-_

"A man carved them into me with his fingers," he answered, once again cutting short Jaune's speculations.

The boy's eyes widened, face paling slightly.

To carve wounds that looked like bullet holes into someone's flesh… the amount of strength that would take was inconceivable. But if there were Huntsmen who fought Grimm and killed scores of them singlehandedly… was it really such a stretch to think a man capable of a feat like that existed?

"Who was he?" Jaune asked in awe.

"Once a friend," the man answered in a calm voice.

Jaune felt a lump in his throat and swallowed it.

"What happened to him?"

"He is dead," said the giant softly.

"I-" Jaune was about to say that he was sorry to hear that. But was that really his sentiment? The man had scarred someone who considered him a friend. To Jaune, who was young and innocent, such an action seemed incomprehensible.

The mysterious wanderer smiled slightly.

"You have a good heart," he commented. "One still free from the burden of experience. But… I sense pain in it."

Jaune started.

This person, within moments of meeting him, despite being nearly dead from thirst, had managed to catch on to his mood? Jaune berated himself for wearing his heart on his sleeve to that extent. If anything, he should be on his guard. The logical side of him said it was dangerous to stay here with this unknown man. That he should run and inform the authorities. Preferably his father.

But somehow, his instincts told him the giant in front of him was not an evil person.

And Jaune decided to trust them. He was fortunate indeed that the man had no ill intentions.

"I… well… I'm useless," Jaune ended up blurting out, looking down.

"And why do you say that?"

Jaune kept looking at the ground. Unable to bring himself to meet the stranger's eyes in his shame.

"I… I wanted to a Huntsman, you know."

"These warriors that you speak of? Who wander the land, protecting innocents?"

Jaune nodded.

"My father is a Huntsman. And so is my grandfather. My mother. My entire family, for generations, have been heroes. I wanted to be like them, you know? But… I don't have what it takes."

"Who told you this?" the man asked sharply.

Jaune raised his head at his strong voice.

Stuttering slightly, he replied.

"M-my father. We- we sparred today. And… he said I don't have what it takes."

The man's eyes blazed.

"I see. And so, having found out that your effort over the past year or so wasn't enough, you accepted his words, and began to hate yourself for being weak."

Jaune's eyes widened.

_How did this man know…_

"How did you-"

"It's evident from your physique and movements. You have more strength and lean muscle than an untrained youth of your age, so it's obvious you've done physical exercise consistently. You were able to support a fraction of my weight, and you move well, light on your feet. But you lack fluidity, implying inexperience in combat. Meaning, you've not trained under a mentor. Your stiffness is a result of self-critiquing your form, most likely by comparing it to what you've seen others do. It also has to do with the fact that you've never sparred before, which is why you lack the confidence of a fighter. Putting all that together, it's easy to see that you trained by yourself for a relatively short period of time, around a year."

Jaune felt his jaw drop.

"_You… who are you?"_

The man looked at him with eyes that blazed with fire.

"Still young… with a pure heart, but one that has felt darkness. Yet, your kindness remains untainted, allowing you to aid even a stranger. I see an underlying strength within you. Yes. If it is you, it should be possible."

He stood tall, towering over Jaune.

"I do not know what Huntsmen are, but if you wish to learn how to fight, I can show you the way. But this is your only chance. If you wish to take it, come with me. If not, walk away, and we will never meet again. Know this, however. If you choose to come, you will part with your family."

Jaune's heart was hammering wildly in his chest now. His stomach felt light, and he felt electricity coursing through him.

He found himself asking a question.

"Will I see them again?"

"I cannot say. It is impossible to know what fate holds in store."

Jaune closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, his eyes blazed with a fire of their own.

"I'll come with you. Make me a fighter."

The man took off his cloak, revealing himself to be clad in leather trousers, boots, and a leather vest underneath. Heavily muscled arms hung at his sides, looking strong enough to crush Ursas.

"Then I, Kenshiro, 64th successor of Hokuto Shinken, take you as my disciple." 


	2. The 65th Successor's Arrival

**Author's note: Over 100 favs and 150 follows in a day? I guess this is what it feels like to be famous… Jokes apart, thanks so much for all the support. From the reviews, I can see I got some of my Hokuto folks here. What up, fam? Oh, man. I got so much stuff in mind for this. After all, we've just had a prologue. Time to really get into the flow of things.**

**Chapter 1: The 65th Successor's Arrival**

  
The docks were a busy place. They always were: even if no Bullheads were immediately taking off or landing, there was so much work to be done: air traffic control, keeping light signals in working order, keeping emergency landing strips open, moving cargo. As such, if you were to go there at any time on any given day, you would find several people hard at work. But today was exceptional, even by the bustling standards of Vale's main airport.

All around the vast open area, people teemed. Walking, talking, laughing loudly. People dressed in all kinds of attire, most of them geared towards combat. Most of these outfits appeared to follow a specific theme or colour, and those clad in them carried some or the other weapon, quite a few of them more than one. The expressions on those faces varied. Some were smiling, grinning. Clearly excited. They spoke animatedly to their families, who had come to see them off, wish them luck. Or their friends. If one was lucky, their friend was a Huntsman-in-training as well, and they would get to spend the next few years together… if they survived. After all, this was the business of death and killing. For that same reason, many others were sombre, nervous. Looking around, skittish. Waiting to get off the ground. Some parents cried. This was the last they might ever see of their children.

In this crowd of armed warriors, one individual stood apart. At six feet, he was taller than most. Unlike everyone else, his clothes were damaged, though still whole. Leather trousers, boots and a crimson vest with a sleeveless jacket over it. His attire was dusty, the edges frayed. His white cloth armbands were stained darkened red. He stood perfectly at ease, watching the people around him with sharp blue eyes. His blonde hair was cut short, and a single faint scar ran from his left brow to his cheek.

Jaune Arc looked on at the families bidding their children farewell. For a moment, his thoughts flashed back to six girls he used to know, in particular to a short-haired sarcastic little one who took particular pleasure in teasing him. Surprisingly, he looked back on them fondly. Time gives perspective, and also brings forgiveness. He hadn't seen his family for four years. He wondered if he ever would.

_Keh. I'm sure they're at an Academy somewhere too._

His thoughts wandered then… not to his father, but to the man who had trained him for these past four years.

_Master… I won't let you down._

He closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall behind him. This was a routine he engaged in at least once a day if he got the chance. He allowed himself to enter his inner self. Allowing the chatter of thoughts to cease, as he focused on his centre. On the power and warmth there. As he connected to it, he sensed it all around him. He allowed this sensation to fill his mind. He didn't try to follow any one particular source. Instead, he simply felt them all. This was a meditative exercise that allowed him to both learn to find his own Ki, as well as that of people around him. It was both an exercise in focus and calming one's thoughts, and being aware of his surroundings without being distracted.

He stayed in this state for a while, breathing slowly and deeply, before finally opening his eyes. Bullheads were already docked, and soon, their hatches would open to admit the students they were to carry… to Beacon Academy.

_Beacon._ After his first year of training with Kenshiro, Jaune had forgotten entirely about his dreams of being a Huntsman. He had other, bigger goals. No, it was only recently that he decided to go to the famed Academy for Huntsmen and Huntresses. Since he had not trained in any school recognized by the Academies, he had to obtain falsified transcripts in order to be allowed to participate in the Initiation. He was sure there would be more though. Some kind of test, to ensure that only the skilled made it in.

_Guess I'll find out._

"Awwww… my baby sister's going to school with me!"

Jaune's attention was drawn by a loud, clearly gleeful voice, and he turned around to find the source of it.

The girl who had spoken appeared to be a decent height, and was clothed in a brown jacket and yellow top, along with a pair of dark shorts. She wore a utility belt, and on her wrists were weaponized gauntlets. Her hair was blonde, and trailed all the way down past her hips. There was a broad grin on her face, and Jaune couldn't help but notice that her outfit did a good job of showing off her cleavage.

Jaune looked away for a second. His thoughts were wandering towards the impure.

The long-haired, boisterous girl appeared to be squeezing another, smaller, dark-haired girl against her chest. This second girl was clothed in a black dress with red accents, wearing brown stockings underneath, along with leather boots. There was also a folded up crimson weapon attached to her belt at the back. She looked altogether too young to be going to Beacon. But if the words of the loud one were to be believed, that was indeed what she was here for.

"Sis… geddoff, you're crushing me…"

The elder sister released her grip, although she was still smiling.

"I can't help it. I'm just so excited! You're growing up and going places! You're going to make so many friends!"

"Eh?" the younger girl sounded slightly confused. "Why would I need to make any friends when I've got you?"

Jaune mentally facepalmed. Having dealt with his own sisters, he knew little Red Riding Hood here had just walked into a trap.

"Yeeeaaaah, about that… my friends are here, so I gotta go. Kthanksbye!"

And with that, she dashed away with a group of people who must have appeared to have teleported out of nowhere, though Jaune, from where he was, could see that they were in position beforehand, and the blonde had given them a signal when she wanted them to make their entrance.

_Hmm. Planning and execution. Leaving younger siblings in the dirt is serious business, I guess._

A loud bell sound alerted him to the fact that Bullhead hatches were now open, so he moved to board the one he was supposed to. Checking the digital ticket on his newly-bought scroll, he found his scheduled aircraft was numbered ID7. Spotting the massive transport airship marked with that code, he slung over his shoulder the small bag that contained his possessions, and began to walk towards it.

As Jaune Arc made his way towards his scheduled ship, he wasn't the only young warrior about to embark on a new journey. A few feet away, a certain red-haired Spartan was bidding her family farewell.

"Pyrrha, I know you'll do great. Be strong, my daughter, and always live by your own principles, not anyone else'."

"Thanks, Dad. I will."

She smiled slightly at her father.

"Hey."

The older red haired woman looked at her, holding her face gently.

"I know you're going there to protect people. To be on the frontlines. But… that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to have fun. It's okay to want to be happy."

_That_ was what Pyrrha wanted to hear. She was responsible enough for two people. A skilled warrior, and a level-headed person, already a woman, not a girl. From a young age, she'd always been looked up to, had expectations placed on her because of her abilities and achievements. And sometimes… it became too much.

It was perhaps iconic: the most promising Huntress of the generation, the four-time tournament champion, had no interest in fame or glory, or even in power. As long as she had enough to protect the people she cared about, she was satisfied. She just wanted to be able to find a place with people who could accept her for _who _she was, not _what_ she was.

Hefting her shield on her back to make sure the straps were secure, she nodded to her parents one last time, then picked up her bag and began to walk towards airship ID7. She looked around at the other prospective Huntsmen and Huntresses around her. Many of them were in pairs, trios or even larger groups. As ever though, she was alone. She sighed slightly. This was one of the reasons she had decided to come to Vale to study instead of staying at Mistral. Here, there was less chance of people recognizing her. She wanted to be just a student, not some kind of celebrity. On the plus side, so far, no one had gawked at her or pointed, meaning, at the least, her fame hadn't been discovered yet. On other hand, she hadn't been able to speak to anyone.

_How come no one ever mentions how hard it is to start a conversation? _

Surely not everyone here had come here already in a group? People must have come here and met like-minded others, right? If so, how did they do it?

This was Pyrrha's weakness. While the countless hours she had spent training in the weight room and sparring halls had prepared her for an array of combat situations… it also meant she had missed out on just… hanging out with people. Learning basic social cues. Things like how to introduce herself. While her natural grace and manners more than made sure she always came across as kind and polite, she feared she didn't really fit in with others of her age. Indeed, when thinking of her mannerisms self-critically, she reminded herself more of an instructor at Combat School or a professional athlete talking to fans than a teenager interacting with peers. It was no surprise that she fit in better and found it easier to talk to teachers and adults than she did with other students.

She sighed again.

_Maybe someday._

However, it was at that moment that her eyes caught sight of one other person who also appeared to be by himself, without any companions. While that itself would already have been enough to make him noticeable, there was also the fact that he looked nothing like any Huntsman Pyrrha had ever seen.

For one thing, he wasn't carrying any weapons. Pyrrha was familiar with a wide range of equipment apart from her own swordspear-gun and shield combo. Because of her status, she had also been admitted to several labs and seen prototype versions of newer models and even been offered the chance to test them out. As a result, she knew what most smaller, concealed-type weapons looked like, and how to spot a person who was carrying them. The boy she was looking at now clearly didn't have a utility belt on, nor did he have any holsters or leather pouches anywhere. His attire wasn't baggy either, nor were there any suspicious lumps. In addition, he simply didn't have the gait of someone who relied on quickdraws. A fighter specialising in hidden weaponry did so because they preferred the advantages of stealth and surprise. This boy in front of her didn't have the unconscious, constant soft steps of a stealth-specialist, nor the relaxed tension of someone whose style relied on whipping out a weapon at a moment's notice and taking out the opponent before they had the chance to draw their own.

If anything, he seemed relaxed. But this was deceptive. Pyrrha could see that his centre of gravity was low, and his legs weren't stiff. Meaning, he could evade or go into a low stance immediately to avoid being knocked off balance. In addition, there was a fluidity to his movements that implied he was an experienced combatant. Putting these facts together with his curious lack of weapons, and Pyrrha could only come to one conclusion…

_He's an unarmed fighter?_

That was insane!

What sort of madman would risk going out into the field to fight Grimm without ranged or bladed tools? Did this boy really think he was capable of getting close enough to monsters that had tentacles, claws, wings, tails and fangs, to strike them? Did he really think he had the power to land killing blows on beasts that had natural armour capable of repelling gunfire? To even think about that was absurd. Even if he was using Aura to amplify his physical abilities.

Yet, even as she thought this, her instincts said that this was a formidable fighter. Muscled arms hung at his sides, and though relaxed, it was clear that they had real power. His shoulders were wide, and his upper body and legs were well built, without being excessively bulky. This wasn't the unnecessarily swollen physique of a bodybuilder. It was a warrior's body.

_Interesting and unusual. _

She found herself smiling. Not even at Beacon, and she was already seeing all kinds of people she had no idea existed.

If she had looked up into the sky at that moment, she would have seen seven stars shining even in the bright light of day. Seven stars, above the mysterious boy.

**Meanwhile, at Beacon:**

"Well, everything is ready. We have a promising batch of students coming in this year."

"Indeed. In particular, it is curious to see one who bears silver eyes after so long."

"Ozpin…" Glynda Goodwitch trailed off. She didn't finish her sentence, but it was clear what she wanted to say. What she was reminding Ozpin of. The risks they had taken. And… the losses they had suffered.

"I know…" the headmaster of Beacon replied, leaning slightly on his cane as he looked out the window to the fields beyond. "She's young. But it is her destiny. If not now, then one day. At least this way, we can keep an eye on her. Prepare her for what is to come."

The stern woman who was both assistant, irreplaceable partner and pillar of support to him sighed slightly.

"As long as you don't push her into something she isn't ready for."

"No. Hopefully there will be no need to do anything of that sort for a few years at least. For now, she will learn. Grow. And perhaps even make some friends, like all youths should."

The two of them said nothing for a while, until Glynda swiped on her scroll, from a page showing Ruby Rose' details back to the list that showed potential notables.

"Miss Rose isn't the only one to watch out for," she said.

"Ah yes. There is also her sister, is there not? The Gold Dragon of the Xiao Long line."

The stern witch nodded.

"She is brash and reckless, as evident from her transcript notes. But… there is no doubt that the sheer power of her Semblance makes up for it… to an extent. Even so, there is much she will have to learn if she is to be of use in the battles to come."

"I agree. Speaking of, there is a champion amongst us, is there not?"

Glynda tapped a name on her scroll, and a picture of Pyrrha enlarged, and her details came up.

"Out of all the applicants, she shows the most promise. It's not just her combat skill: she is both intelligent and focused, and has showed good decision-making ability during challenging situations. I would go so far as to say that the only thing she is lacking is more field experience."

"No." Ozpin shook her head. "There is much more she is lacking."

"Such as?"

The silver-haired man took a sip of coffee.

"The sword one wields becomes twice as heavy when one is defending another," he paraphrased from a legend he had once read.

To that, the telekinetic witch had no answer.

"Did you know that a descendant of the Arcs is coming?" the headmaster asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

"What?!" she said, startled.

_A descendant of the famous Arc bloodline, that had turned out more legendary Hunters than any other._ _But… to the best of her knowledge, all the Arc children of the current generation that had chosen to take up the burden were going elsewhere, not Beacon._

"But none of the six sisters is listed anywhere-"

"Because they aren't coming. No, it's the boy who decided to apply to Beacon."

Glynda's eyes widened momentarily, before she frowned.

"They had a son?"

"Indeed. And, when last I spoke to the Arc parents, they didn't speak highly of his potential."

"But then why would they send him-"

"They didn't. He didn't even apply using the Arc name. He is officially listed as Jaune Souther in his transcripts. I was only able to recognize him because I saw him once before, when he was still a child. But… he turned out differently from what I would expect."

The woman closed the transcript viewer app and began to pull up the Arcs' contact number.

"We should inform his family immediately-"

"No," came Ozpin's voice sharply.

"Why?" she questioned, eyes narrowed.

Ozpin coughed into his hand. He had spoken out quickly, but in truth, there was no logical reason behind the decision he had made a few months ago when he had seen Jaune's application. If it were anyone else, he would be able to come up with a story on the fly to convince them that there was a plan. But Glynda knew him well. Thus, he decided to opt for the truth.

"Because I'm curious," he answered.

Glynda felt as if she might pick up the desk in front of her and toss it out the window.

"So you think it's a good idea to take a child without any certified experience or training, and put him into a life-threatening situation… _because you're curious_?"

Ozpin didn't flinch under her glare.

"We've made sacrifices before, Glynda. There's no point pretending our hands are clean."

She looked down, unable to reply to that.

"And… he does come from the Arc line. There is a chance he will prove to be an invaluable asset to us. If that is true, then I'm willing to risk his life… for the thousands he might save."

**Landing strips, Beacon.**

The Bullheads came down, each in its designated area. The hatches opened, and mechanized ramps lowered to the ground, allowing the crew and students inside to disembark.

Jaune Arc had spent most of the journey calmly sitting with his back to the wall. Around midway through, he had been joined by a green-clad youth with shoulder length black hair. There was a single pink lock among it though. The two had nodded to each other, before each of them meditated by himself. A few minutes in, a rather loud girl who had approximately the combined energy of fifteen hundred pounds of sugar entered the scene, and proceeded to barrage the black-haired boy with a host of questions, many of them revolving around sloths and pancakes.

_I mean, I've seen more bizarre… _

Jaune's thoughts wandered back to a boy he had met during his travels with his master.

_Jotaro's a cool guy. Hope I run into him again someday._

Somehow, he had a feeling he would.

But for the moment, he got off the aircraft, relishing the feeling of solid earth under his feet again.

_Man, motion sickness must suck. Imagine the poor people who have to spend the ride throwing up._

Jaune shook his head and walked on, taking in the sight of Beacon Academy all around him.

There was no denying that the place was both massive and well maintained. The grounds were clean, and up ahead, the pathways led to several buildings. It looked exactly how Jaune would have expected a school for Huntsmen to look. In the centre of courtyard, he could see a large monument consisting of three statues. There was a man and a woman, both of them armed, standing atop a rock. Below, a Beowulf hid in fear from them.

He couldn't help but notice that the sword the man carried resembled perfectly the weapon wielded by his father, Crocea Mors. Looking at his own hand, he clenched his fist. He hadn't come here seeking honour and glory in a misguided, misinformed cause.

_Death and tragedy will follow in the trail of the Godfist._

The words of his master echoed in his mind.

If he closed his eyes, he could see it still.

Nuclear holocaust, completely devastating the world. Brother killing brother, humans consuming each other, and in turn, bringing the darkness of the Grimm. These were the memories passed down to him by his master.

_Death and tragedy will follow in the wake of the Godfist._

_But… he who stands by in the presence of evil nurtures it._

And so, Jaune had come to Beacon. Not to be a hero. But because there were lives he could save.

_BANG._

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a loud explosion some distance away.

_And this is why Dust has to be handled carefully_, he thought, shaking his head.

Still, it was worth checking out what had happened. Someone might be in need of assistance. With this is mind, he made his way over to the source of the smoke rising up.

"Are… are you a complete idiot?" shouted a shrill voice.

"I'm sorry! It was an accident!" came the reply.

Coming to the scene, Jaune found a familiar figure in Little Red Riding Hood, the small dark haired girl he had seen earlier. She appeared to be trying to placate the person in front of her. Said person immediately reminded Jaune of ice for some reason. She was clad entirely in silver and white, with some red accents, and even her hair was the colour of snow.

Jaune would be lying if he said he didn't think she was beautiful.

"Imbecile! You're an imbecile!"

Unfortunately, whatever positive impression she might have otherwise had on him was kind of ruined by the way she spoke to the girl who was clearly sorry for whatever she had done. There was a case lying open on the ground, and a broken vial next to it. Evidently, the two girls had collided, and the Dust containing vial had fallen to the ground, and did what Dust tended to on impact: explode.

Well, no one seemed to be hurt at least. He was about to walk away when he saw that Snow White was still lashing out at Little Red.

_Hmm. Master did always say to leave well enough alone._

Since he had begun to travel by himself, he had found that to be sound advice. It just wasn't healthy to intervene in every conflict, especially those that could be resolved peacefully without a third party. More than once, Jaune had only ended up being blamed for getting himself involved with a situation, and he had realized why Kenshiro had been an isolationist.

Yet, as he watched the poor girl receive a verbal thrashing, he felt _bad_. It would feel wrong not to intervene in this case, at least to just calm the furious one down.

Stepping forward, he spoke out.

"Hey. She said she was sorry. It won't happen again, will it?"

Both girls whirled around to look at him, and instantly, Jaune regretted getting involved.

_Damn it! I didn't train for this!_

Which was true! Due to the amount of time he had spent in the wilderness, Jaune hadn't had much interaction with other humans, especially girls of his age.

As a result, to be suddenly confronted by two exceptionally attractive women, one of whom possessed the overwhelming power of cuteness, and the other the physical beauty of an actual fairy… left him awestruck for a moment.

Way back in the day, most of Jaune's experience of talking to girls revolved around his sisters. None of whom took him very seriously.

So it was a surprise to see both the cute red one and beautiful white one staring at him wide-eyed, instead of with dismissal.

_I guess being tall helps?_

Regardless, he was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable, and was actually extremely relieved when the formerly furious one spoke.

"I should hope not! This is an Academy for Huntresses! Not dolts who can't follow proper safety procedures with authorized Dust equipment…"

The way she spoke vaguely reminded Jaune of advertisement jargon, but it was easy to see that this girl was a bit of the self-superior type, though she didn't seem to malicious. Conclusions: she was just a bit stuck up. The easiest way of dealing with her would be to give her what she wanted.

"Exactly so!" Jaune said. "And now that you've reminded her, I'm sure she'll take the lesson to heart. Right?"

He turned around to face the other girl, whose earlier look of awe had turned into one of disappointment and mild disgust when he had taken Snow White's side.

Judging by the scene Jaune had witnessed earlier with this one's elder sister, and her expression right now, this one was maybe a bit more of a free spirit. At any rate, no one liked sweating the details or being roasted over a simple mistake. And she had made it to Beacon despite her young age, so it was unlikely she was dangerously careless. Conclusion: appeal to that free-spiritedness.

With his back to the silver-haired fairy, so that she couldn't see, Jaune winked at her, making it clear he wasn't ganging up on her.

Immediately, the disgust disappeared, replaced momentarily by sheer joy, before giving way to the worst poker face Jaune had ever seen.

"Right. Exactly right!" the girl said. "I've learnt my lesson!"

The other glared at her for a moment more before sighing.

"Fine. I'll let it go this once. See that you don't repeat it"

Jaune subtly released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

_Well, that turned out well. Situation handled. Well done, me._

And so thinking, he began to proceed further into campus, when he realized, with growing horror, that the two girls were still with him, walking on either side of him.

_Shit, shit, shit! This wasn't part of the plan!_

He had managed to play a short encounter cool. That did _not_ mean he was ready for prolonged contact! He needed to find a way to get away from them.

"Er…" he began awkwardly, not looking at either of them.

"Ah yes. Where are my manners. I have yet to introduce-"  
"Oh, hey, I totally forgot. My name's-"

The two girls stopped. Both of them had attempted to speak at the same time, resulting in a garbled mess. They glared at each other, and Snow White was the one to aim for the high road.

"No, _please_. After you, by all means."

"Sheesh, what's your problem," Little Red muttered under her breath before turning to Jaune.

"My name's Ruby Rose!", she said brightly. "Do you have a weapon? Can I see it?"

"Er…"

"Really! Right on the first meeting! Give him some time!" Snow White interrupted. Turning to Jaune, she continued. "And I am Weiss Schnee. I don't think I caught your name."

"Jaune Souther," the blonde youth replied. Over the past few months, it had gotten easier to avoid the natural habit of giving his birth family's name. Souther, incidentally, was the name of one of the many rivals his master had defeated. Jaune had picked it as his cover because it was a general word for the strong southern wind, and not exotic enough to be detected as a lie.

"_Jaune Souther…_" repeated the girl called Ruby, saying the name experimentally, as if it felt strange, unfamiliar. "That's an unusual name."

"Indeed," said Weiss, for once in agreement with her. "Can't quite seem to put my finger on it, but it seems different for some reason."

_Because one part is taken from someone else? _ Jaune thought wryly.

But neither of them pushed the point, much to his relief.

"Oh yeah! I got distracted for a second. Jaune, where's your weapon? What is it? Can I see it?"

Ruby's attention seemed to revolve around weapons, evidently.

Weiss face-palmed, but before she could say anything, Jaune chose to answer.

"You're looking at it," he said, speaking a fraction of the truth.

"Huh? I don't see it anywhere…"

"Is that so? Maybe you need to change your way of looking," Jaune said cryptically, allowing a slight smile on to his face.

The pout on her face felt immensely satisfying to see. Of course, soon enough, Jaune would have to show his abilities. He wasn't afraid of having them copied or stolen: it took years to master Hokuto Shinken, and that was only with the guidance of a master. At the same time, however, there was no reason to go proclaiming his secrets to the world. So, for now, he decided to keep it veiled in mystery.

"... Weiss, why did you step on my foot?"

"Hmm? Oh, it was an accident. Sorry."

The girl's cold voice told Jaune that it was _not_ an accident.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

Before he could answer his own question, he saw in the distance the long-haired blonde from earlier, Ruby's elder sister. She was waving, and Ruby responded enthusiastically. Seeing this as his chance, Jaune decided to take a detour while the girls' attention was on the new arrival. The move worked, and he was able to lose his two companions.

A loud announcement from up ahead alerted him that new students were supposed to gather in the courtyard. Jaune could already a crowd starting to form in front of the platform, and while he wasn't a fan of jostling and close physical proximity if he could help it, he supposed he should hear out whatever they had to say. Some important information might be given out. He decided to hang back, where the crowd was thin, instead of trying to get closer. He could see fine from where he was.

As he watched, a silver-haired man in a black suit stepped onto the platform. He wore round-rimmed glasses, and carried a cane. Despite appearing young, he moved with authority, and his body language was smooth and confident. Jaune noted that he was a skilled combatant.

Standing atop the platform, he spoke out, voice amplified by a small mic he was wearing.

"I'll be brief. I look at you all… and I see dissipation. Wasted energy. You have come here in search of knowledge and skills. Having acquired these, you seek to dedicate your lives in the service of others. But knowledge can only take you so far. You need purpose. And that, you must choose, yourselves. It is up to you to take the first step."

Memories hit Jaune. The villages and settlements he had seen with his master. Destroyed by Grimm. And the others… destroyed by _humans._

_Well, we'll see soon enough, what ideals are instilled in Huntsmen._

A woman stepped onto the platform.

"Initiation will take place early tomorrow morning. I suggest you all proceed to the dining hall and eat, after which, you should gather in the main hall, where you will spend the night. It is recommended that you rest and recover your energy in preparation for the trials that await."

_Unusual headmaster._

He decided to head towards the dining hall. It was a good idea to eat and fuel up for whatever trials Beacon had in mind. He was also aware that he was being watched, but he decided not to confront the watcher yet. It was unlikely he would be taken by surprise, since he was aware of her. So he decided not to create a scene by facing her here.

Meanwhile, several feet away, the watcher (Pyrrha) saw him leave, still unable to get a proper read on him. He was able to get along easily enough with people, yet, he had seemed eager to get rid of them, and had done so at the first opportunity. This was a stark contrast to most typical teenagers, who would do almost anything for the attention of two attractive young women. He was hiding something. Pyrrha didn't know what, and she was curious.

It wasn't over. Sooner or later, she'd have her chance, and she'd find out exactly what his secret was.

Dinner ended up being pleasant. Beacon certainly did not compromise on the quality of their food, and each dish was both nutritious and prepared to perfection. Most students, Jaune included, were smart, however, so they didn't overeat.

The blonde Shinken practitioner finished his meal and washed his face and hands, feeling satisfied. It was dark outside, and most people had already retired to the main hall, where beds had been arranged. An adventurous few still roamed around outside, choosing to explore the campus. Jaune had to admit, he was curious about what the place might have to offer. But he decided to retire for the night. It was better to be well-rested before action whenever possible.

"Heyyy, sis. Whatchu writing, there?"

As before, his attention was drawn by a loud voice.

_The elder sister again, it seems._

Turning, he looked at the blonde girl, who was now standing over Ruby's shoulder as she attempted to write. Jaune's eyesight was well-honed, and he could see that as a matter of fact, she was penning out a letter. He decided not to read further. Judging by the tone, this was personal, and not really any of his business.

"Oh, just writing home to my friends," she answered, finishing off and folding up the piece of paper.

"Aww… that's adorable," said her sister, once again pulling her into a hug.

"Stoppit, yercrushing me, Yang! I'm not a kid!"

"I know! You're here now. Definitely not a kid. So you shouldn't worry. You'll make lots of friends here, too." Her tone was warm and supporting.

"You say that, but all I've made so far is a negative friend-"

_I think they're called enemies_, thought Jaune.

"I think they're called enemies," said Yang.

"Not helping, sis!"

"Hey! Would you keep it quiet over there? Some people are trying to sleep, you know!"

_And here comes Weiss. Of course._

Ruby's reaction was predictable, as she cringed, inching closer to her sister, whispering loud enough for pretty much anyone to hear her.

"She's the one! You know, the one with the Dust and the explosion, from earlier!"

"Oh, the enemy!" Yang said, nodding understandingly.

_Not helping_, thought Jaune.

"Not helping!" said Ruby.

"Don't worry, sis. Just leave it to me! I'll show you how it's done."

Walking forward, she raised a hand, waving exaggeratedly to Weiss.

"Hi! I'm Yang! Seems you and Ruby here have sort of gotten off on the wrong foot. So how about we put all this behind us and start again?"

"How about we put all this behind us and you two stop shouting so everyone else can go to sleep?!"

Several groans were heard at the irony of Weiss shouting as she said this.

"Hey, hey! Girl's got a mean one-liner game. I think we got her, Rubes!" Yang turned around and gave a thumbs-up to her sister.

"Idiots," muttered the silver-haired girl.

"Oho. You think my patented Yang ways can't make friends?"

"I don't know and I don't care," said Weiss.

At this point, even Jaune was sick of watching them squabble. A part of him suspected that these three would get along great, since he didn't sense any real animosity between them. If two people argue, but still keep talking to each other, it's likely they find each other interesting on some level.

_Friends, huh?_

Jaune hadn't really had time for that during his training. After his tutelage had ended, he'd travelled. Been to many places, but never stayed anywhere for long. A part of him wondered if Beacon would finally be the place where he stopped, at least for a few years.

He shook his head.

It was unlikely. Conflict had been drawn to Kenshiro. The master hadn't gone out of his way to make a spectacle of himself, but rumours still spread in the outlands, of the Saviour of the Century's End, the Man with Seven Scars. Although he acted to protect those who couldn't defend themselves, evil was drawn to him because of his power. Some to harness it, others to destroy it.

And, once Jaune had inherited the Shinken, he realised what it was like, too. To be hunted by shadows. Assassins trailed him wherever he went. And even those he defended turned against him. He was feared; an outsider even in the wilds.

It was unlikely he could stay for long at Beacon. Most likely, many here would become his enemies. Even more likely, his presence here would bring others who wished to either capture him, or steal his secrets.

Even so, he had come because he needed information. As long as he could stay here long enough to learn what he needed, he could leave with no regrets. The lives of many hung in the balance. If he found what he came for, he might be able to put an end to it all: to Huntsmen being sent to die. To humans hunting other humans. And above all, to the darkness of the Grimm.

He took a deep breath.

It would be best to get some sleep.

As he was about to turn in, he noticed a young girl with long black hair. She wore a rather conspicuous hair band. Unlike most others, she hadn't changed into night clothes: still dressed in her travel gear. And despite how she leaned back in bed against the wall, reading a book, seemingly at ease, he noticed there was an underlying readiness to her, as if she was ready to dodge an attack whenever it came, and fight or run.

_Maybe I'm not the only one hunted by shadows._

Normally, he would not have been at ease around a girl, but maybe because of that shared struggle, he was able to talk to her without awkwardness.

"The Legend of the Dark Knight," he said to her as he walked over. "It's a good story."

She looked up at him, slightly curious, but eyebrows crooked, as if ready to call him in case he was bullshitting her.

"You enjoy epics?"

"This is the only one I've read," he admitted. "But if they're all like this, I wouldn't mind reading more."

She relaxed slightly. There wasn't any hint of falsehood in his words. There was also a genuine love for the book in his voice, that convinced her that they at least had that in common. So she decided to give a genuine reply as well.

"They're not. Most aren't nearly as accessible. In my opinion, the reason this one resonates so well is that some level, most of us can relate to the characters."

Jaune found himself smiling wider than he had in a long time.

"A powerful Demon who notices the cruelty of his brethren towards humankind, and turns against his own to stand up for justice. Ultimately, he defeats the Prince of Darkness, but in doing so, also seals away most of his own power. He settles down in the human world, and ultimately marries a human, with whom he has twin children. Most wouldn't consider a figure that powerful relatable… but Sparda, being a demon, still had more humanity than many 'people' I've met."

The black-haired girl nodded.

"Sparda was a hero. And one who was able to find peace and happiness before moving on. But… most people in his place cannot say the same. Those who are different… are shunned… as if they were demons."

Jaune shot a glance at her hair band. He could see what she was trying to conceal, of course. The fabric was almost indistinguishable from the real fur underneath, but his eyes could make out the difference. But if she was hiding it… she must have her reasons, and would probably not like being called out all of a sudden. So he chose his words carefully.

"A realistic opinion drawn from an epic. One could argue that the very improbability of the events are meant to showcase that such an ending is beyond the reach of most people."

The faunus' ears drooped slightly. Just enough that only someone carefully observing them would notice.

Jaune continued.

"But I don't think that's what the story is trying to say. At least, it's not how I interpret it."

She looked at him, eyes narrowed.

"Then what is it that you take away from it?" she asked.

"Hope," answered Jaune simply. "Hope that somewhere out there, even a demon can cry if he sees suffering. Hope that one can change oneself… and write their own fate."

Even as he said those words, they rang hollow in his own ears. He was saying them to cheer her up. But deep inside, he had little hope of overcoming the destiny written for every successor to Hokuto Shinken.

_Blood and death follow in the wake of the Godfist._

As he wrestled with his own turmoil, the girl, oblivious to it, brightened considerably.

"That's… an inspiring interpretation. A little naive…"

_Of course._

"... But maybe the world could do with a bit more of that kind of naivete."

Her words broke Jaune out of his state of brooding.

She had the tiniest smile on her face.

"I'm Blake. You're a weird guy… but I hope you'll make it in."

"Jaune. And thanks. You too."

He walked away, deciding firmly that he would go to sleep now, though he was aware he was still being watched.

**The Next Morning. Initiation Day.**

Pyrrha woke up feeling refreshed. She had slept well, as always. It was underrated, but one of the most important skills of a warrior was being able to sleep restfully whenever the opportunity was available. The ability to fall asleep quickly, but also be a light enough sleeper to awake quickly in case of emergencies, was invaluable. As such, it was one of the things she had been trained to do as a Spartan.

Shower facilities were available, and she decided to freshen up before getting dressed. Initiation was scheduled for the morning, so she strapped her armour on, breastplate, greaves, gauntlet and headpiece, before heading to the dining hall for a light breakfast. As she made her way there, she came across the strange unarmed youth she had noted the previous day. He was one of the few who had slept with his travelling clothes on, and even now, he was fully geared for action, though the slight wetness to his hair gave away the fact that he must have bathed.

The Spartan's eyes met those of the Shinken's. It was the first time Pyrrha was making contact with his eyes, and she noted there was not even a hint of a flinch in them. They were sharp and quick, but unhurried, calm, watching her carefully, studying her movements while also meeting her head-on.

These were not the eyes of a young warrior-in-training.

They were the eyes of one who has been in life-and-death battles, until they have become second instinct to him.

"You were watching me yesterday," Jaune said. There was no nervousness. While he was plenty awkward around girls, the situation changed completely if the person in question was a potential opponent. His brain and body's combat instincts took over, replacing hesitation with cold decisiveness.

But Pyrrha didn't back down either. As formidable as the boy was (and she knew he had the overwhelming advantage when they were both unarmed), she wasn't afraid of him.

"I was," she replied simply. "You're unusual."

"Maybe so."

"You come to an Academy meant for Hunters. But you do not carry the weapons or equipment of one. It makes me wonder who you truly are, and what your intentions may be. And it makes me wonder if you are truly prepared for what lies ahead."

Jaune looked at her seriously for a while before his face relaxed and he smiled slightly. It was incredible how much the tension lessened between the two of them when he did that.

"You're not the first person here to say something like that."

Pyrrha frowned slightly. He hadn't been offended by her words, and he looked confident in himself.

Was he actually going through with this? Taking on Grimm bare-handed?

"We should get breakfast," he said, interrupting her thoughts. "I wouldn't want to go out on the field on an empty stomach."

The meal passed by quickly, and Pyrrha found herself choosing foods and eating on autopilot, her mind a storm of thoughts. This boy… may very well be about to go to his death. Her instincts told her he was more than capable of handling himself. But logic said he was woefully unequipped for what was to come.

She debated if she should report him to the first teacher she would see.

It was in this state of mind as she went to the Locker room, where each student's assigned locker was, containing their weapons. Quickly locating hers, she typed the passcode, causing it to slide open. Finding her familiar swordspear and shield, she strapped the latter to her back, while shifting the former between its gun, sword and spear forms, finally settling for the gun form, as she loaded up the magazine and inserted it, checking the sights to make sure they were in order.

"Excuse me."

She turned around. Standing behind her was a girl dressed in silver and white, with hair the same colour. Her eyes were a startling blue. All in all, she immediately made Pyrrha think of snow.

"Pyrrha Nikos, I presume?"

_Oh, this is it. I guess anonymity doesn't last forever._

Composing herself, she smiled slightly.

"Yes, that's me."

"Weiss Schnee," said the girl, holding out a hand, which Pyrrha cautiously shook.

"So, Pyrrha. Have you given any thoughts to who you would like on your team?"

As a matter of fact, she was hoping she would be able to make at least one friend, or even a friendly acquaintance. Having such a person on her team would be the best possible outcome. However, she'd had no such luck, being far too awkward to really approach anyone.

"Not really," she answered. "I was thinking of letting the chips fall where they may."

"I see. Well, certainly, anyone who finds themselves on your team will have at least one dependable ally to count on. But ideally, you would want someone capable by your side as well. And that is why, I think the best scenario would be if the two of us were to work together."

_Well. She's certainly forward_, Pyrrha noted.

The situation was slightly uncomfortable for the Spartan. She really hadn't considered any specific individual as a prospective partner, and the girl in front of her very obviously only wanted to team up with her because of her reputation. While Pyrrha could see the logic behind that choice, she definitely didn't want to team up with someone who only wanted her for her power.

Yet, she hadn't been able to approach anyone else either. If she turned her down, would she be able to find another person willing to team up with her?

She couldn't answer that.

Just as she was preparing herself to turn her down even if it meant going solo, she noticed a familiar blonde walking past them.

_Perfect!_

Pyrrha recalled that Weiss knew him, and had seemed quite eager to spend time with him earlier. As a matter of fact, the boy had been forced to slip away. Having him here now would serve as the perfect distraction.

"Hello again!" she said loudly as he walked by, and he turned to look at her.

As he did so, Weiss' eyes landed on him as well, and widened in recognition. Pyrrha observed them light up with joy for a split second, and wondered how anyone with that genuine a reaction could have been as fake as she was being just a moment ago. The snow-themed Huntress was able to conceal her reaction quickly though, the expression on her face becoming one of anger.

"Jaune! You disappeared yesterday," she said. "And it seems you've been getting acquainted with others in the meantime."

She added in the second part in a cold voice, and Pyrrha could physically feel the temperature around them drop by a few degrees. She looked at leather-clad boy sympathetically. His earlier stoicism was replaced by a look of betrayal.

"_Why would you do this?"_ his eyes all but seemed to scream.

Pyrrha could barely stop herself from laughing. Seeing the one who appeared to be a hardened warrior show a typically boyish response was very amusing. She shook her head slightly, trying to indicate she was sorry, although her barely suppressed smile more likely made it look like she was gloating at his misery.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, trying to come up with an excuse. "Yeah, about that. Sorry. I got an urgent call that I simply had to take."

It was an obvious lie, but it appeared to placate Weiss to an extent.

"Hmph. Fine. You could have told me before leaving though."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time," he said, neck muscles straining as he tried to keep a smiling face.

Before anything more could be said, a loud announcement was heard, summoning all new students.

Within moments, they had gathered on the outskirts of Forever Fall, on a cliff overlooking the forest. It was now that all hopes Pyrrha had that the teachers might bar Jaune from taking the test were dashed. Even as he stood there, clearly unarmed, neither Ozpin nor Goodwitch made any move to interrogate him.

_This is really happening? _

"Your objective is simple. Once in the forest, you will proceed to make your way north to the ruins located within. There, you must each retrieve a 'relic', and then proceed towards extraction. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your way, or you won't survive."

Ozpin paused for a moment to make sure everyone understood the weight of that statement. When he was satisfied, he continued.

"At Beacon, it is customary for Hunters to operate in pairs. As such, your partner will be decided during this test itself."

Pyrrha felt her heartbeat speed up.

"You partner for the duration of your stay at Beacon," said Ozpin, "Will be the first person you make eye contact with in the forest."

Pyrrha all but groaned internally.

This… this system was pathetic! She could end up being paired with anyone! She looked further down the line at Cardin and his cohorts. Exactly the sort of people she _didn't_ want to team up with. Bullies and cowards. Or people like Weiss, who simply wanted to use her for her abilities. No. No matter how polite she was, she had no respect for people like that.

But she couldn't protest. This was Beacon. If she was here, she would have to play by their rules.

"In any case. Prepare yourself. You will each be using your own landing strategy." We will be launching right away."

_Wait. Hold on. Landing. How is Jaune supposed to slow down his fall?_

Before she could ask that question aloud, the pads they were standing on had already started to launch each of them one by one, going down the line towards her. Jaune, who standing right next to her, seemed perfectly calm. The mechanical jump pad below him was pushed upwards forcefully by the hydraulics underneath it, and he was sent flying through the air. There was no time for Pyrrha to dwell on him either. A sudden force alerted her to the fact that she too had just been sent sailing skywards.

Her mind kicked into focus, her senses sharpening, as she felt her body respond to each signal her brain sent. Using her Polarity, she unstrapped her shield from her back and drew it to her left arm, gripping it. Holding it firmly in front of her, she stayed horizontal in the air, to make sure it covered as much of her as possible, locking her shoulder and bracing the shield with her other arm to reinforce it as well. As a final layer of protection, she used her Polarity to hold her arms in place. Soon enough, she felt the impact as she crashed into the canopy of the forest, breaking through branch after branch as her momentum continued to send her forward. Yet, slowly but surely, she felt herself falling downwards as well. Spotting a large branch ahead, she took her chance and lowered her shield while dropping her legs, feeling her feet touch down on it. Rolling through, she came up having adjusted to the momentum, ending in a balanced crouching position.

_That takes care of landing. Now Jaune!_

From her vantage point, she scanned the horizon, but was unable to see Jaune anywhere. He had probably already made a landing. Either that… or he was dead. She shook her head. She coudn't give up now. If he was alive at all, she would make sure he survived this ordeal. She decided to head north while keeping her eyes open. It made sense he would proceed towards the objective if he managed to land safely.

Jaune was not dead.

_A few seconds ago._

The blonde haired Shinken sailed through the air, making sure to keep his body horizontal to reduce air resistance and maximize forward travel. When he was above the tree cover, he prepared himself. It would have been easy for him to brace himself as he crashed through the foliage. The height of the fall was nothing great for him. But it was a method that would do unnecessary damage to the forest. So, he stayed loose. As he penetrated the canopy, he twisted in mid air to avoid branches, and lowered his legs when he saw the chance. Up ahead, a particularly thick branch caught his attention. Kicking off a trunk that he was passing by, he changed direction diagonally towards it. When it was close enough, he grabbed on it with his hands and flipped over it like a gymnast, sending himself soaring upwards. Flipping over once more in the air, he landed lightly on his toes atop the branch.

_No trees were harmed. Excellent._

Closing his eyes, he concentrated his senses of hearing and smell to the maximum, while reaching out with his Ki. As it spread out over the forest, he was able to locate several familiar life energies close by.

_Weiss, Pyrrha, Blake, Ruby and Yang are all less than 2 kilometres from me._

In addition to these women, whom he knew by name, he felt two more presences that were familiar: the hyper-energetic girl who had kept talking about sloths, and green-clad boy he had recognized as a fellow practitioner of the traditional ways.

Ki, or life energy, also called Aura by Hunters, was something all living beings possessed. Jaune could locate people using his ability to sense this energy. What few knew was that Grimm too possessed it. It was hard to sense, and completely different from the bright warmth typical of life. But it was there nonetheless. Twisted and corrupted though they were, the Grimm were alive too.

And that is why, he could sense them all, every single Grimm within a 2 kilometre radius, there positions accurate down to the millimetre.

_North is where the ruins are._ _If I run, I can cover the length of the forest in ten minutes at most. But I can't leave the others here. I sense they're capable… but their methods aren't properly developed. Maybe I should go slower, give them a chance to get to the ruins first. If any of them are in trouble, I'll lend an assist. No one has to die here. _

With his mind made up, Jaune jumped from the branch he was on to one further ahead, and then to another, travelling from tree to tree silently, heading north, while tracking the movements of the Grimm, and the other students. He made sure not to go too fast, so that none of the others he was tracking would slip out of range of his senses. For the first several minutes, the going was calm.

All of that changed once a wind blew through the forest.

… _That's not good._

Apart from being drawn to negative emotions, Grimm also possessed other keen senses. Sharp eyesight, smell and hearing. In case of calm prey, they used smell to hunt, since they couldn't count on fear to give away their position. Several groups of Grimm were relatively close to many of the individual Hunters. And with the wind, the scent of those Hunters would give away their location.

Sure enough, he sensed an abrupt spike in several Ki signatures to go with the alarm of sudden confrontation. Gunshots followed.

Jaune's tracking strategy was sound, but he had not considered what to do if _all_ of them were attacked at the same time, in different parts of the forest. The only way around such a situation would have been to pre-emptively strike and kill every Grimm he could sense.

But that sort of cruelty… was simply beyond him. Bloodthirsty and violent the Grimm were, and they did indeed feed on humans. But it wasn't out of malice. That was simply their nature. He could no more expect them to change than he could expect a wolf or tiger to forgo flesh. And if they had Ki… then they were, in some way or another, alive.

_Never treat life cheaply._

Those had been Kenshiro's words.

Hokuto Shinken had countless ways to take a life.

It had not a single way to give back a life taken.

_There are many who die who should live. If you cannot give them life, then do not be eager to take it._

This was part of the core of Jaune's beliefs.

Yet, if they attacked, he would defend himself, and others. So he didn't waste a second hesitating. Instead, he leapt explosively down to the forest floor and dashed forward towards the nearest human to give backup. Entering the clearing, he saw that that person… was Pyrrha Nikos.

Moving quickly, she blocked a strike from a Beowulf using her shield, while thrusting out with her sword from behind it, stabbing it in the throat and killing it instantly. Even as she did this, another Beowulf leapt at her from behind… but never reached her.

Dashing forward, Jaune cleared the distance of five metres between himself and Pyrrha while the beast was still in mid-air, and placed himself between her and it. Turning, he thrust out a fist with the same lightning speed, catching it right on its armoured skull. A shockwave exploded outwards from the hit, ruffling Pyrrha's hair as the Beowulf's over two hundred pound body was halted completely in its movement. She whipped her head around, eyes widening at what she saw. Even before the Grimm's body could fall to the ground, violent contortions ran through its frame, and _it exploded_, showering the forest floor with chunks of its body that disappeared in wisps of smoke.

The Spartan felt a chill run down her spine.

_What the hell kind of move was that…_

Jaune took up a fighting stance, legs slightly wide, hips low, hands open and raised to just below his chin.

"Stay focused," he said, keeping his eyes on the other Beowulves, who were less eager to charge in after the fate that had met the first two to do so.

Pyrrha raised her shield and sword. He was right. This was a fight. No time to be getting distracted. Jaune was indeed capable of taking down Grimm with his bare hands. He was ready. That was all she needed to know.

"Affirmative. Engaging to destroy," she said.

Launching herself forward, she kept her shield high to prevent being hit from an angle while smoothly shifting her weapon to its spear form, extending its reach and skewering a Beowulf right through its open mouth. Immediately, she retracted her arm to avoid being caught in an extended position. She focused on the side where she had her shield up, and as expected, felt a weight crash into it. Another one had tried attacking from that direction. Shoving it back, she thrust her spear through its body before pulling it out and moving on to the next target. Meanwhile, Jaune had her unshielded side covered. As she had blocked the Grimm that had tried to flank her, another one had come from the opposite direction, only to run into Jaune's boot as he pivoted, turning 360 while delivering a roundhouse kick that _cut_ the Grimm in half as if it had been a blade strike. In truth, the technique depended on speed to generate air pressure that was powerful enough to surpass most swords in its cutting power. The Beowulf hadn't been hit by the kick. It had been bisected as the foot had passed by it.

Not pausing, Jaune pressed the attack, moving on the remaining two Grimm on his side, neither of whom were prepared to meet his advance. As such, Jaune didn't need to intercept their bodies in mid-air, leaving him free to use the basic principle of Hokuto Shinken.

_Hokuto Shinken._ _The Divine Fist of the North Star_.

Its enormous power came from its understanding of life. Its understanding of living bodies, and the life force that flowed through them. By striking certain points located on the anatomy of a living being and stimulating them with one's own energy, the flow of life force in the target could be manipulated. This could have disastrous effects on it. Cutting off or reversing blood flow. Preventing the function of certain organs. Killing nerves.

A Hokuto Shinkin practitioner combined surgical knowledge of the body with superhuman physical prowess to kill any foe with the minimum amount of effort.

Grimm anatomy was different from that of humans, but Jaune had fought plenty of Beowulves before, and as such, was familiar with their bodies. Before the beasts could react, he struck both of them simultaneously in the chest with a single knuckle each. The hits immediately caused both hearts to stop beating. They were dead before they even hit the ground.

Jaune turned around just as Pyrrha beheaded the last Grimm of the pack before flicking the blood off her weapon and sheathing it. She faced him, and the two locked eyes.

"I suppose this makes us partners," she said evenly.

"I suppose it does," he agreed.

The two of them relaxed and approached each other, and Pyrrha was the first to bow her head.

"I apologize for earlier. I underestimated your abilities. You are more than ready and equipped to be on this battlefield."

Caught off guard by her sincere and open statement, Jaune was humbled, and bowed in turn.

"I underestimated you as well, though I did not say so. Your skills are formidable."

The last Spartan and Shinken in the world looked at each other with newfound respect, and Jaune found himself remembering something Kenshiro had told him.

_Different peoples and cultures create and refine their own martial arts. Those arts are methods and ways devised precisely because human beings are weak. The human body is fragile. So, we devise methods to fight to compensate for that weakness. Martial arts do not seek strength to destroy. They seek strength to protect that which is precious. This is the power of the human spirit. The power of the soul. It is the reason you are able to fight. Use it well, my disciple. Protect those who cannot defend themselves, and treat everyone you meet with respect. You will learn much from them._

Perhaps, the Hunters' ways had a value he had not seen earlier. Perhaps, at long last, he would find here, those who could, for a while, walk alongside him.

He couldn't wait to find out. 


	3. Unstoppable

**Author's note: The response so far to this story has been absolutely amazing. Thank you all so much, for your support, and to those of you who pointed out errors in my writing and made suggestions for improvements. That being said, I'll take this chance to answer a few questions that have been asked.**

**1\. There are readers here who aren't familiar with Kenshiro (Jaune's master). Who exactly is he?**

**Kenshiro is the main character of the manga and anime series called Fist of the North Star. It's an amazing series and I'm a big fan of its lore and characters. I don't recommend it to younger viewers, or those who can't deal with depictions of intense violence. But if you aren't in either of these categories, I highly suggest checking it out. Although as an older series, it's parodied a lot, the sheer quality of the story and characters is undeniable.**

**2\. When is Jaune going to drop the 'Omae wa mou Shindeiru'?**

**Be patient, ye all. When it comes, I want it to be super epic. For those who don't know what this line means and signifies, don't worry. It'll be more than clear when I write it in. Or if you're impatient, Google it, I guess. It's incredibly famous, after all.**

**3\. Is there going to be romance? And if so, between who?**

**Honestly, I haven't yet decided. MANY of the RWBY girls are awesome characters, to the point where I wouldn't mind writing any of them in more detail. Therefore, why don't YOU comment in the reviews, and tell me which ship you'd want to see!**

**And that's about it, for now!**

**Let's get this show on the road.**

**Chapter 3: Unstoppable**

Yang Xiao Long wiped a bit of sweat off her face. That had been a good warmup. The bodies of the fallen Grimm had dissipated already, as they always did. There was no point hanging around here. She decided to proceed north.

_I heard gunshots coming from elsewhere. I guess I wasn't the only one who had to deal with some company. _

She didn't encounter any more Grimm, at least for the moment. Soon enough, she found the thick forest floor start to change, grass and plants giving way to bare soil which eventually met stone. In front of her, pillars stood in a ring at the edge of a circular platform. Arranged along its circumference were pedestals. While some were empty, others carried… large chess pieces.

_Hmm. That wasn't so hard._

As she was about to proceed towards one of the pieces to claim it for herself, a figure emerged into the clearing from a different part of the tree cover. Yang recognized the girl clad in black and white as the one her sister had attempted to approach the previous night. The reader.

The two girls made eye contact. Yang realized what that meant.

_Ah well. Could have been worse. She seems OK._

"We aren't the first ones here," she said aloud, making an attempt at opening the conversation. The raven-haired girl nodded as she too made her way onto the platform.

"Those who managed to avoid Grimm would have covered the distance faster," she said. She examined a Knight piece in front of her, and Yang picked up another.

"How about a cute little pony?" she said, grinning.

Her new partner found herself actually cracking a smile at the obvious attempt to be funny.

"Sure."

No sooner had she picked up her own Knight piece than the sound of gunfire rang out from the forest once more, along with a loud high pitched shriek which both Huntresses recognized.

That was a Nevermore's cry.

Yang also recognized the distinct single, hammer like report of Crescent Rose' gun mode.

"Ruby…" she muttered, moving towards where the sounds had come from. She stopped when her new partner laid a hand on her arm.

"Wait."

"Let go," she said, glaring at her.

Amber eyes met her own as Blake shook her head.

"Listen carefully."

Frowning, Yang strained her ears, and was able to make out the sounds of quick footfalls, approaching them. In moments, her sister dashed out in the clearing, accompanied by the stuck-up snow princess from the previous day. Both of them panted as they tried to catch their breath.

"That was close," Ruby muttered.

The girl in white, Weiss, shot her a dirty look.

"Nice going. Engage whatever enemy you come across, of course. Right from the front, to make sure they know you're coming. Solid planning, _partner_."

Ruby opened her mouth to protest, but before she could do so, loud roaring filled her ears, along with the sound of heavy feet stomping the ground, and cracking branches. Seconds later, a massive Ursa emerged, tongue hanging out, dripping drool.

All four Huntresses drew their weapons, prepared to kill it, but they didn't need to. The beast simply toppled over, revealing that there was another figure on top of it. Sitting on its head, grasping handfuls of its fur as if they were handlebars, was a short, rather buxom girl with orange hair.

"Aww, it's broken."

She got off the Ursa, and as it dissipated, she dusted herself off.

"NORA!"

She grinned sheepishly as a panting boy came into view, sweating and leaning against his knees as he attempted to recover his stamina.

"Never… do… that… again…" he said between breaths.

_Uh… is that everyone?_ Yang had a feeling there would be a few more arrivals right about now. And indeed there were. But to understand the exact context of those arrivals, we must go back a few minutes, to a different part of the forest, and follow two other individuals.

_**Moments ago, elsewhere.**_ ****

"Interesting," Jaune muttered.

"What is?" Pyrrha asked.

The two of them were proceeding through the forest silently, so as to avoid unwanted attention.

"Well," replied Jaune, "We're being followed."

Pyrrha shot him a sharp glance.

"Don't react suddenly," said Jaune. "It doesn't know we're aware yet. I want to keep it that way for a while."

"When you say 'it'," asked Pyrrha with growing dread, "What exactly are you referring to?"

"A Deathstalker," said the martial artist calmly.

Pyrrha's eyes widened, but she managed to keep her emotions in check and forced herself to take a breath.

Deathstalkers were heavily armoured, and also not very common on routine runs in forest areas. Because of their tough, armoured exoskeleton, all their vitals were protected, and ordinary ammunition was incapable of doing any damage to them. The same could be said of melee weapons, barring the very heaviest, which only Hunters with exceptional physical strength could use. Pyrrha herself was a balanced type, possessing a good combination of speed and power, but incapable of physically dealing out strikes that could kill such an opponent. Of course, she could easily do it with her Semblance. But they were in the woods: there were no large metal bodies in sight that she could hit it with.

If she had been by herself, her strategy would have been to run. The only way to kill it would have been some kind of environmental trap, but she couldn't spot any readily available factors she could use to set one. Her priority would have been escape, and combat would have been a last resort.

But she _wasn't _alone.

She looked once more at Jaune.

Earlier, she had seen a glimpse of his skills. The very first attack he had used had caused a Beowulf's body to explode. She wasn't sure how exactly he had done it. He hadn't killed only one of them either. He'd taken out no fewer than four, without any considerable effort by the looks of it. She knew that some Hunters could consciously channel their Aura to increase their physical strength or the power of their blows. And she had heard tales of cornered, disarmed warriors killing Beowulves barehanded. Thus, his feat, while impressive, was not unheard of.

It was obvious he was more than capable of fighting and surviving on the field. But considering the fact that he was carrying _no_ ranged weaponry or tools… it was unlikely he had a way to penetrate the Deathstalker's armour, capable of repelling even heavy gunfire.

_Maybe he could do it with his Semblance? _

Pyrrha had no idea what his Semblance was, though. Depending on a power which she had no idea would be sufficient or not… was not a good idea.

"We should run," said Pyrrha, looking him in the eye. "Deathstalkers generally take _at least_ a full team to bring down, and that's assuming they came prepared."

Jaune nodded.

"That is very much what I suggest as well, at least for the time being. Still, this is unusual."

"The presence of a Deathstalker here?"

"No." He shook his head. "The fact that it managed to evade my notice for so long. At the moment, it is two hundred metres from us."

Mentally, Jaune noted that this was the first time he had encountered a Grimm with this particular ability.

Jaune was able to sense Grimm using their Ki. Ki, or life energy, spiked with exertion or changes in physical state, as well as emotion. He had no idea if Grimm had emotions. But they _did_ have hunger. And the only reason Jaune had sensed the Deathstalker was because it was consumed enough by the thought of eating them… that it had been unable to hide its Ki.

_Hide its Ki._

This was a Grimm that knew how to hide its energy.

It was a rare skill.

_How did a Grimm learn an ability like that? Is it simply a special individual? Smarter than others? Or was it something else that caused it to learn something new?_

He was curious. If Grimm were indeed capable of learning and growing… then the implications for his quest were massive.

_Patience. For now, retrieve the relic and get to Beacon._

"It is called a Death_stalker_ for a reason, you know", Pyrrha said. "It's method of hunting revolves around sneaking up on prey and stinging them."

Jaune shook his head.

"That's the problem. I'm not prey."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes.

"Of course you're not."

The two of them continued to walk normally, giving no sign that they were aware of the gigantic Grimm stalking them.

"There is a clearing up ahead, around a hundred metres or so. And there are other students there," said Jaune. "That thing knows this. It's about to strike."

Pyrrha nodded, understanding what he was saying.

"Now?"

"Now."

The two of them broke into sprints, and Pyrrha heard the sound of cracking branches as the ground shook. The Deathstalker was giving chase.

However, the Shinken and Spartan were both quick on their feet, and they managed to make it to the ruins, where they ran, of course, into the rest of our heroes.

"Jaune!" shouted Ruby and Weiss at the same time.

"Nora!" shouted Nora, unwilling to be left behind.

"Uhh…" Yang wasn't sure whether to be angry or not.

"No time. We have to move," said Pyrrha. She spotted the chess pieces, and realized they must be the relics Ozpin had spoken about. Moving forward, she grabbed hold of a Rook, while Jaune did the same. No sooner had they done this than with a loud report, the Deathstalker crashed through the foliage, actually knocking over several trees as it emerged.

"Yeah, I believe that's our cue," said Blake.

No one argued with her.

All eight of them ran for it. Up ahead was a rock face offering very little in terms of hand or foot holds.

"We have to get up there," said Ruby, taking the initiative. Once again, no one argued. They knew it had to be done.

The Hunters-in-training glanced at each other. Together, this climb was possible.

Ruby grabbed hold of Yang's arm, and activated her Semblance, her speed allowing her to run up the nearly flat surface. Even as they neared the top, Weiss jumped, summoning a series of Glyphs under her feet to repeatedly propel herself upwards. Meanwhile, Blake shot Gambol Shroud's blade, and it embedded itself high on the rock. Retracting the cable, she was pulled upwards. As she neared the end of its length, she summoned a clone who grabbed her arm and threw her, helping her clear the rest of the distance. Ren also started with a jump, hooking one of Stormflower's twin blades into the rock and hanging on. As Nora jumped, he grabbed her arm and threw her up, giving her an assist, while also throwing her the other blade. Chaining assists together, they managed to get to the top; a viable alternative to using Magnhild's grenades as a jump booster. That left Pyrrha and Jaune. The Spartan looked at her partner hesitantly. While he was no doubt capable, he didn't appear to be carrying anything that would help him ascend the rock face.

As if sensing her thoughts, he spoke.

"Need some help?"

"I was going to ask you that," said Pyrrha.

"Nah, I'm good."

She grinned slightly. If he said he was OK, she was going to trust him. Without wasting a moment, she unhooked her shield, and controlling it with her Semblance, used it as a platform to rise. She looked down to see how the young fighter would make the climb, and saw, to her immense surprise, that he was effortlessly keeping pace with her… _by running up the wall._

It was different from Ruby's Semblance, which she had just seen. Unlike how she was using supernatural speed to negate the difficulty of finding grip, Jaune was running at a relatively easy pace. It was as if he was running on the ground. As if somehow, gravity had forgotten him.

"How are you…" Pyrrha began to ask, stunned.

She thought she saw him wink at her.

"Secret," he answered.

In truth, he was channelling Ki to his feet, using the energy to hold on to the surface without needing to physically grip it with toes or fingers. To a Hokuto practitioner, it didn't matter if the direction to go was forward or upwards.

Within moments, they had made it to the top, Jaune launching himself upwards and flipping forward to land on the ground. More than one pair of eyes looked at him curiously. None of them had seen the method he had employed, and there was no way to tell by looking at him exactly how he might have done it.

But there was no time to ask him either. The ground began to shake, and what sounded like sledgehammer blows were heard. The group came to the edge and looked down, and saw, to their horror, that the Deathstalker was ascending the wall as well. Its sharp legs dug into the rock as it climbed up.

"So much for getting away," muttered Yang.

No sooner had she said that than a hail of razor-sharp feathers came flying right at them all, forcing them to jump backwards and evade them.

"Shit," said the gold dragon. "We're going to be flanked."

"If one cannot run… one must fight."

They turned to look at Jaune, whose face was resolute, and instantly, they knew what they had to do. They were Hunters. Not prey.

Immediately, everyone burst into action, moving quickly and in different directions. Getting herded together and barraged by feathers was a bad idea.

Ruby dashed around the field using her Semblance. Moving at incredible speed, she was a hard target to hit. And all the while, she kept stopping to fire at the Nevermore using Crescent Rose' sniper mode. To her immense surprise, however, none of the bullets found their mark. Not because she was missing.

It was because the Nevermore was shooting her projectiles out of the air using its own feathery ones.

"But that's impossible…" muttered Ruby.

"What the hell?" said Yang.

Others wore similar looks of dismay. Never before had they seen a Grimm use techniques like that, or react with that sort of speed or precision. This wasn't just natural hunting instinct. It was a special method. _An anti-Hunter defence._ This was a _learned behaviour._

Jaune noted this.

_A Deathstalker that can hide its Ki. And a Nevermore that can counter guns. _

The implications for his research were _massive_, and he could barely contain his excitement. But he stayed in control. Right now, it was crucial these new tactics not throw them off their game.

A good fighter doesn't come in counting on one plan. A good fighter adapts.

"Stay sharp," he said loudly. "No creature under the sun is invincible. If one approach fails, try another, one that works."

They all stared at him in surprise. Even now, faced with these powerful foes who were displaying behaviours their Combat schools had not taught them were possible… he was calm. And that calm reminded them. They were Hunters. They had to find a way.

"Okay," said Ruby. "So you can block gunfire…"

"...But can it block a sword to the throat?" Weiss completed the thought.

The two partners shot each other a glance. And despite their differences, at that moment, they were on the same page. They would have only one chance at this.

Fortunately, Yang and Blake were already working on creating that chance.

The Nevermore, observing that while its ranged assault was scattering its prey, it was failing to actually wound them. So, it swooped into a dive, deciding the up-close approach was called for. The target it had chosen was Blake. Out of all of them, she appeared to be the most docile and least dangerous.

How wrong it was.

As its claws clenched, the flesh they closed on gave way with ease, crumbling away like dust. It had been a clone. Having come close to the ground, it would now take the flying Grimm time to ascend again, and that window provided an opportunity…

An opportunity for Yang to dash in with a leaping straight punch that connected with its beak, knocking it sideways through the air… where Blake was waiting, coming down with a slash that left a wound right above its shoulder.

Taking an attack that close to its wing alarmed the Nevermore, and it immediately started flapping furiously, gaining altitude, desperate for the safety of the skies.

It was so focused on avoiding the ground that it forgot… attacks could come in the air too.

All this time, Ruby had been running up the wall of the ruins, and now, she was level with the Nevermore. Seeing her chance, she jumped off the surface.

Weiss summoned Glyph after Glyph behind her feet, launching her forward faster and faster. Finally, firing Crescent Rose with the barrel facing behind her, she used the recoil to gain even greater velocity, heading towards the unsuspecting Grimm like a thrown blade.

As she shot right past, she held out her scythe, and felt the tiny bit of resistance that told her that she had successfully beheaded the beast.

Before her momentum threw her off the cliff, another Glyph appeared in front of her, allowing her to kick of it, and redirect herself. More Glyphs flashed into existence, creating almost a sort of jump-based ladder, a safe path down to where the others were waiting for her.

That was one Grimm down.

Meanwhile, the other four faced the Deathstalker.

Ren kept moving, dancing just out of range of its swinging tail as he peppered it with submachine gun fire. But the shots didn't slow it down. It kept advancing quickly. However, his intention was never to damage it, but rather, distract it.

With the giant scorpion-like Grimm busy trying to smash him, Pyrrha was able to angle to its side and jump onto its back.

_Its armour is tough… but the base of the neck is a weak point internally._

Grasping Milo in its spear form with both hands, she jammed it downwards, using her Semblance on both her bracers as well as the weapon itself to increase the force of the stab manifold.

Although the Grimm's armour had no gap at the spot, the sheer power of the attack was enough to make it stop for a moment from pain due to blunt force. But it had not been enough.

Pyrrha noted with horror that even this blow to a weak spot hadn't even been able to force the Deathstalker down to its belly. It was still standing. Instincts honed from years of fighting warned Pyrrha of an incoming attack, and she jumped off its back, avoiding getting skewered by its sharp tail.

She landed next to Jaune, who hadn't moved.

"It's no use," she said. "I couldn't do a thing."

Jaune shook his head.

"That's not true. You revealed its weakness."

Pyrrha stared at him.

"What are you talking about?"

In answer, Jaune spoke loudly to all 3 of his companions.

"Keep its claws and tail busy."

The tone he said it in was one of certainty, and all three of them knew that he had a plan.

Nora wasn't used to being a distraction, but that didn't mean she couldn't pull it off. She went in from the right, while Pyrrha took the left. And in the meantime, Jaune began to walk towards it, approaching it head on, right from the front.

Seeing two of them attempt to flank it, it struck out with one claw at each of them. Even as it did this Ren came in from behind, shooting at it, forcing it to try and stab him with its tail. The green-clad warrior dodged, having successfully baited it into embedding its tail in the ground.

This was the moment. With its three primary weapons unavailable for use, Jaune had a clear path of approach, a straight line forward between the Deathstalker and himself.

He would only have a second, but it was more than enough.

He slid one foot forward as he went into a lower stance, extending one fist and closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, summoning his Ki, his Aura to his stomach.

_Futae no Kiwami._

His Ki exploded, driven into his legs, allowing him to launch himself at the beast with the sort of force cannonballs can only dream of.

When he was within reach of it, he planted his feet on the ground, anchoring himself with firm footing, while transferring the momentum through his body, turning at the hips as he drove his left hand forward. As he did this, he channelled his Ki upwards.

The single extended second knuckle of his middle finger struck the Deathstalker's armoured forehead, and at the moment of impact, Jaune focused his Ki at the point of contact.

The transferred energy shook the Grimm's plates right down to the molecular level, nearly breaking the bonds.

But the attack was not done.

Before its body could have the micro seconds needed to recover from the shockwave, he folded his middle finger while pushing his fist forward with his entire body.

The second impact connected with the large knuckle, and the resulting blast of force nearly knocked all three of his teammates off their feet.

This was the Futae no Kiwami, the _Two-fold Extremity_, a technique that struck with two consecutive hits so quickly, they appeared as one. The entire move had taken less than a second to execute from the preparation and step-in to the two blows.

The Deathstalker's armour had caved in, a crack expanding outwards from where Jaune had struck, and the massive Grimm's legs gave way from the brain trauma.

Ren, Nora and Pyrrha stared in awe.

_What kind of power…_

"Rest in peace, warrior," said Jaune. He struck it with a _second_ Futae no Kiwami, utterly shattering its entire body, causing it to dissipate into the air even before it could entirely collapse to the ground.

All three of his companions felt a cold chill run down their spines.

Ren, being skilled in channelling Aura himself, noted that Jaune was consciously using his Aura to increase his strength and speed at specific moments, as well as to increase the destructive power of his strikes. But in addition, his movements were performed in a way that harnessed the body's natural potential to the fullest. It was striking technique at its finest… but there was more to it. Elements that were unknown to him.

"What style is that?" he asked "I've never seen anything like it."

Jaune looked at him.

He would have answered anyway, but he also owed much to these three. If it had not been for them, he would not have gotten the opening to use the crucial technique. He now considered them his allies. So he answered with the truth, proudly.

"An art honed for assassination. This is the Divine Fist of the North Star, Hokuto Shinken."

Ren's eyes widened. He had not heard of this martial art before. It was obviously a well-guarded secret. But in Jaune, he recognized a legend… a figure spoken of only in myths and stories back where he came from.

"To think I would encounter a living Godfist at Beacon…"

Jaune shook his head.

"You overestimate me. I would not have been able to strike the finishing blow if you had all not created the opening."

"And what a finisher it was!" exclaimed Nora, getting right up in his face. "That. Was. AWESOME! How'd you do that? Was that your Semblance? Or, or, or, did you just eat a lot of spinach? Or-"

"Nora, I don't think that's how it-", began Ren.

"-Works?" finished Pyrrha.

She looked at Jaune, once more having changed her opinion of him. Twice already he had exceeded her expectations. And this was just their first day of fighting together. Things that she would not have considered possible, he did, and naturally at that.

_Who are you?_

She resolved to ask him that later, in private. For the moment though…

"We should keep moving before more come", she said.

"Good idea," agreed Ren.

Jaune nodded.

"Onwards!" said Nora.

The four of them, who were already unofficially a unit, began to move towards the other four, who had also similarly been bonded by battle.

As they walked, Jaune's mind was occupied by the two Grimm.

_Both of them showed specific skills. Complex ones at that. They couldn't have developed them without a certain level of intelligence. More proof that the Grimm are alive… far more alive than people think. These are not the actions of mindless unlife. They're capable of learning… I need to study them._

_What else are they capable of? And above all…_

_What is their origin?_

**Surveillance Room, Beacon**

Glynda Goodwitch glared at the screen. A mixture of feelings ran through her. Amazement? Yes. Frustration? Definitely. Confusion? Absolutely. And trepidation. Moments ago, she had seen on screen the live footage from the drones monitoring Forever Fall and the ruins.

A boy that could kill Beowulves barehanded with ease. Rare, but not a cause for concern. One that could crack a Deathstalker's armour with a single blow? That was _unheard _of. She doubted there was a single Hunter in history who had performed such a feat. Those movements suggested that he was trained… trained in some art, some method of fighting that was foreign to Beacon. And judging by what she had seen, it was a powerful art.

The boy's fighting skills alone put him far above the level of a Huntsman-in-training. But combined with his navigation, situational awareness, decision-making and level-headedness…

"He's no child," she murmured. "Who _are _you, Jaune Arc?"

Ozpin took a sip of coffee.

"Someone worth keeping an eye on. I sense his intentions are different from most students'."

Glynda looked at him in alarm.

"We will allow him to stay for now. He is more than capable, as we saw. And there is no proof that he has foul motives. So for the moment, we will watch him. He may turn out to be far more valuable even than we could expect from an Arc."

"And what if his motives _are _foul?"

Ozpin did not need to answer that question aloud.


	4. Of Masks and Substance

**Author's Note: I've gotten a bunch of comments, and many interesting suggestions. Ultimately, I decided to go with the character I thought would be cool to explore. If your ship wasn't chosen, I'm sorry, but I don't want this to be a polyamorous fic. The whole idea is to show that even if Jaune were to gain a massive power boost, he'd still be a loveable dork, not an asshole.**

**It's been noted the Ozpin should know about Hokuto Shinken. While I'll spoil nothing, I'll leave these questions here for readers to theorize about:**

**Has Ozpin met Kenshiro, and if he has, did he try to enlist his aid as an ally?**

**Is it possible Ozpin is hiding a lot of things from Goodwitch?**

**Was Kenshiro aware of Salem's existence? If so, why did he choose to not fight her?**

**Does Jaune have an infinite supply of leather jackets?**

**Just some fun things to speculate about.**

**But that's enough of that. Let's get this show on the road!**

  
**Chapter 3: Of Masks and Substance**

"... the four of them shall form team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose!"

Applause broke out, and the young girl's eyes widened in wonder and joy. She had been more than happy just to be on the same team as her sister. Being made the leader of that team was completely unexpected. On the one hand, she was overjoyed. On the other, a part of her realized the responsibility that entailed. Both Blake and Yang congratulated her, but everyone was happy about the choice.

Weiss' eyes had widened as well, but not in joy. She glared at Ruby for a second, but looked away immediately, ashamed of her thoughts. Weiss Schnee was many things, but dishonourable was not one of them. As far as she was concerned, Ruby was an unsuitable candidate for leadership. But even so, she had won it fair and square, as judged by the faculty. It wasn't Ruby she was angry with. It was herself, for failing to have done well enough to win that position.

With almost all the new students sorted into teams, only four were left, and Ozpin addressed them as well.

"And finally, :Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, and Jaune Souther. The four of them shall form team JNPR, led by Jaune Souther."

As he said those words, he looked at Jaune, his gaze sharp, almost to the point where he seemed like he was trying to burrow into him with his eyes. The young warrior met the stare with his own, unbothered by it. Both scrutinized each other, questions passing through their minds. Ozpin was curious about the Godfist's techniques and powers, how he had gained them. What he planned to do with them. Why he was at Beacon when he clearly had no interest in becoming a Huntsman. Jaune was curious about the knowledge the Headmaster might possess. The secrets of the Grimm. Where they came from and how they came to exist. Why even now, hundreds of Hunters went out to battle the Grimm, but none were sent to understand them, and end their threat once and for all.

Both of them looked away. While a conversation was in order, now was not the time for it.

"I expect you are all exhausted. Tomorrow will be an off day. You will be assigned dormitories by the end of the day, so once you are settled in, take the rest of the time to recuperate and prepare mentally and physically for your classes. That is all for now. You may go."

He turned and walked off the platform, leaving the students to talk amongst themselves as they began to make their way out of the area. Most people headed to the showers, intending to get cleaned up and change out of their battle garments, while others headed to Dining Hall to catch a meal, and a few simply decided to roam around campus for a while, enjoying the cool evening breeze and the beautiful surroundings.

Jaune turned to his new team. The truth was, he hadn't been thinking about being made leader, or anything of the sort. In fact, the tasks he would have to undertake in that role would probably get in the way of his true objectives. Thus, he was still struggling to come to terms with it. When he looked at his three companions, he wasn't really sure what they were thinking. Would they even acknowledge and accept him as a leader?

"Well, I suppose congratulations are in order," said Ren, surprising Jaune. He had not expected the normally silent boy to be the first to speak.

His expression was calm, as always, giving nothing away, until he held out a hand, the slightest hint of a smile on his face. It put Jaune at ease, breaking the tension he was feeling, and he accepted the hand, shaking it.

"Thanks," he replied, allowing a smile to show itself on his own face.

"Woohoo! We have our fearless leader!" exclaimed Nora, clapping him on the back a few times. Jaune noted that she was quite strong, much more than her frame suggested.

"Now if only I can keep my spine in one piece, I'll be okay," he muttered jokingly, drawing a dry chuckle and commiserating look from Ren, and loud laughter from Nora.

And that left… Pyrrha. The red-haired Spartan had remained silent thus far, and now Jaune locked eyes with her.

Out of all the people he had met at Beacon, she had initially been the most sceptical of him, doubting his ability at every turn, until he had completed the necessary task.

Yet, Jaune sensed neither rigidness nor malice from her. Each time, she had accepted that he was able to do things she did not expect, and had been graceful in admitting that she was wrong.

_She's an exceptional warrior_, he noted. _And a pretty cool person. _

She was rational.

She believed in what she knew worked, and was aware of her own abilities, her strengths and weaknesses. She was also familiar with what a Hunter might expect in their field of work, and knew how to deal with it. But at the same time, was open to adapting to what was new to her.

In so many ways, she had the ideal attitude and bearing for one who fought to protect others. And Jaune was sure… if he didn't have her acceptance, this team would fall apart before it could even set foot on the road together.

His worries were put to rest when she offered a hand, smiling much more warmly than she had during the Initiation. It was as if the trials they had undergone together had knocked down many barriers, many layers of inhibition, allowing her to finally loosen up. Her posture was more relaxed and her grip felt friendly to Jaune.

"Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting it," she said. "I was almost certain you'd make leader."

Jaune blinked a few times.

"Really?"

"Pretty much. You were the one who kept your cool and reminded us to get our heads in the game. It was a crucial moment, and you reminded us to stay calm and keep working. If that isn't leadership, I don't know what is."

Nora nodded, not joking for once.

"She's right. Anyone good with words can put out an 'inspiring' speech. Battles aren't all fun and games though. You're only as good as you're dependable."

Ren agreed as well.

"And you were able to come up with the strategy for defeating the Deathstalker too."

It was a new thing for Jaune. He had come to Beacon expecting to find dogmatic, almost robotic students. Instead, he found real people.

Once more, he was humbled.

_He _had underestimated Hunters. Not just as fighters, but as human beings.

So, just for a moment, he allowed himself to say more than he normally would.

"You're all cool. I'm glad this is the team I'm on."

In response, he got broad smiles.

"It might be a good idea to go check if we've all been assigned dorms", suggested Pyrrha.

There were murmurs of assent, and they all began to make their way to the main hall. Once they reached, they found several people standing with clipboards. Approaching one such lady, who checked her papers, they were informed that they _had _been assigned a dorm.

One dorm.

That they would all be sharing.

_Well, this might get awkward later._

But Jaune decided to roll with it. Picking up their luggage, they went to the hostel building and ascended to the third floor, where they found the door marked with the number they were looking for, and used their key to open it.

The place had four beds arranged next to each other with some space between each of them. Besides that, there were also two desks, two cabinets, and a door that led to a clean bathroom and shower.

For Jaune, who had spent the past four years mostly living in the wild, this was the equivalent of a five star residence.

"Dibs!" shouted Nora, rushing over to one of the beds on the end of the row, and putting her bag next to it as she promptly jumped onto it, bouncing slightly. Almost immediately, she shot right up to her feet and zipped over, grabbing Ren's bag and placing it near the bed right next to hers.

"Dibs on that too", she said.

_Are these two in a relationship? _Jaune wondered. He sincerely hoped he wouldn't accidentally walk in on something.

Making his way over to the other end of the row, he put his bag down on the bed.

"I'll take this one then."

Pyrrha shrugged and took the remaining bed.

The four took turns to shower, after which they proceeded to unpack. None of them were carrying an unnecessary amount of baggage, so their belongings fit comfortably, with them quickly dividing up the available cabinet space among themselves for clothes. In addition, Pyrrha and Ren were both carrying books, which they arranged on the two available desks. There were no fixed coursebooks. Instead, Beacon had a large library, with students using it to research or study whatever they needed or wanted to. It had a fiction section too, but many preferred to bring their own private collections.

Aside from this, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora had some items of personal value to them. Pyrrha hung up a piece of red cloth on the wall behind her bed. Jaune also noticed that she carried a photograph of herself with a woman who looked very much like her and a man with short brown hair. He realized they must be her parents. Ren briefly took out a knife which he looked at intensely for a while before storing it in his locked drawer in the cabinet. Nora had a wooden hammer that she stored similarly.

Jaune realized that these were items from their lives, from their past. Items that were significant to them because of the memories associated with them. Boys and girls trained, and left home even before they were of age, to become Hunters. Leaving home and loved ones behind for an uncertain future.

Unlike the others, Jaune carried no memento of his family. His bag had contained clothes, which he had already stored in his part of the cabinet. He was also carrying some ingredients and materials he could use to concoct medicine in case of injuries, but that was all.

He didn't have any photos of the Arc family or the town he was from. Nothing to remind him of the life he had left behind.

If you were to ask him, he would say Kenshiro was in his heart. In his soul. In every fibre of the body and mind he had helped him forge. Jaune was the living legacy of his Master, and that was more than enough for him.

Even so, for a moment, he couldn't help but be reminded of the family he hadn't seen in so long. He wondered if they were doing all right.

_Do they think of me sometimes too, like this?_

He shook his head. Delving into the past was not a good idea. Instead, he decided to go outside and finally explore the campus.

"I'm going outside for a bit. I'll probably see you guys at dinner."

They nodded, and he closed the door behind him. While Jaune had previously owned nothing other than his travelling clothes, he had had the foresight to buy some casual wear, since he realized he would have prolonged shelter at Beacon, something he did not in the wild.

As such, he was currently dressed in a pair of shorts and a plain white t shirt. It was nice and comfortable, and he was amazed how good it felt to be out of leather. The cotton felt great against his skin, and he was far more exposed to the air, leaving him feeling cool and refreshed.

_This is what luxury feels like._

He walked down the stairs and emerged on the grounds. There was a paved pathway, and beyond it, grass. A cool wind blew, and Jaune closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the feel of it. Up above in the night sky, he could see seven stars shining over him.

The Big Dipper, the constellation of Hokuto Shinken, and the stars to which his own fate were connected.

They shined bright and strong over Jaune wherever he went, a reminder of what he was. His high spirits were sobered. Even here at Beacon. This peace… this happiness… it was temporary. He would only stay long enough to find the answers he was searching for.

The Godfist's duty was to protect the innocent, and destroy evil. Wherever it went, tragedy followed. He couldn't stay here for long.

His attention was drawn to a figure sitting alone on a bench a little way ahead.

Jaune recognized the one known as Weiss Schnee, and was about to turn and walk in the other direction, when he noticed that she seemed uncharacteristically… down.

While the girl was more than a little full of herself, and tended to be overbearing and rude at times, she was always full of energy, always purposeful. And seeing her like this… didn't feel right at all. Her trademark strength and spirit were dampened.

She was… sad.

He decided to approach.

Slightly awkwardly, he raised a hand in greeting.

"Er… hi…"

She turned to look at him, surprised to see who it was.

"Jaune… what are you doing here?"

"I was just out for a walk."

"I see."

Silence followed for a moment.

Unlike his earlier conversations with her, Weiss didn't continue. It was a stark contrast to how eager she was to speak with him before.

"You mind if I take a seat?"

"Go ahead," she said.

Jaune sat down on the bench next to her, making sure to leave some space between them. Silence returned again. Whatever was bothering her, she wasn't going to bring it up herself.

"You… uh." He took a deep breath. What was he even doing?

_Either help or leave her alone._

Determined, he looked at her.

"You look a little down. Is everything okay?"

She turned at his words, surprised that he would just come out and ask that. It wasn't entirely unexpected. As much as she had avoided people wasting her time before, she was not unfamiliar with typical teenage behaviour. It was extremely common for people to try to make a move on others when they were emotionally weak or troubled. Weiss was far too smart and strong to allow a cheap strategy like that to work on her.

As a matter of fact, it would make her put her guard up even more around whoever tried it.

But on the other hand, Jaune was different from anyone else she had met.

She had noticed this from their very first meeting.

The little trick he had pulled, making it seem like he was agreeing with her to make her stop lashing out at Ruby. Of course, she had seen through his rather poor act. But she had played along with it because of _why_ he had done it.

He was kind. And that kindness had led him to try and stop her from berating Ruby. Weiss was aware she had a temper problem. Aware she tended to stress. A lot. And her firm facade cracked easily when she was tested, making her lash out at others. It wasn't as if she enjoyed it. More often than not, she detested herself for the way she ended up behaving. And so, she had been secretly thankful that Jaune had come at that moment.

Somehow, his bumbling attempt at being smooth had melted her anger, allowing her true self to win over it.

A boy naive enough to think something like that would work wasn't the sort of scumbag who would try to make a move on someone when they were troubled.

In addition, she had seen how uncomfortable he was with her earlier. It was one of the reasons she had decided to stay with him for a while. It was fun seeing him struggle to find a way to slip away without being rude. It took her less than five minutes to figure out that he was extremely shy around women.

For him to force himself to approach her now, he was genuinely concerned about her.

Something about that genuine desire to help won her over, and she decided to answer honestly, knowing she was talking to one of the very few people in the world who wouldn't use what she was about to say against her.

"Well, it bothers me. It bothers me that someone who doesn't know the first thing about working in a team, or even standard procedure on the field, was chosen to be leader instead of me. And… it bothers me that I wasn't even good enough to be chosen over someone like that."

She watched Jaune, waiting for his reaction, and deep inside, fearing that the honest, simple boy would be disgusted by how petty her reason was.

His eyes widened, and he blinked. Once. Twice.

"Really? That's what you're worried about? That's all?"

Irked by how he was making it sound like nothing, she was about to respond angrily, when he continued.

"You're a formidable warrior, though. I've seen you fight. Do not be plagued by doubt. Believe in yourself, and move forward."

The response was so unexpected, she found herself speaking before she could stop herself.

"But I wasn't chosen! That means-"

"It simply means you would do far more good in a different role. Weiss, the best leader in the world is nothing without those she leads. No amount of strategy is of any use without strong arms to implement it. You are those arms, Weiss. That's why you're here, at Beacon."

Weiss stared at him, mouth open slightly, unable to say a word.

Jaune went on, looking away, at his own hand.

"There were once three brothers. Each was the bearer of a powerful legacy. But… that legacy could only accept one successor. Only one of them would be chosen. And only one was chosen. But… both the other two went on to do great things. They were… instrumental in the course the world took. Neither of them could have done those things if they had allowed themselves to be consumed by what might have been. Instead, they forged their own paths."

He looked at her.

"Don't waste a moment of your life trying to be someone else. Instead, be _you_. Do the things only you can."

Weiss looked at Jaune. He was indeed simple. But he wasn't stupid. And… he was mature in ways the elite prep school students she had grown up with were not. In a way different from most people she was seeing at Beacon too.

And, he had a point.

It was like he had an ability to help her see past her ego, her anger and her insecurity. Calmer now, she was able to ask herself what it would be like to simply accept that Ruby was the team leader, and she was not.

The moment she did, she felt better. It was like a weight had been lifted off her, freeing her to do what she wanted.

She was here to be a Huntress. And she could, and would, do so. Ruby had her own strengths: what she lacked in finesse and conventional knowledge, she made up for with innovation and spontaneity. If they were to be an effective team, then it would be up to Weiss to form that backbone, the reliable structure that would support her unorthodox teammates.

She smiled slightly at Jaune, an expression different from what he had seen before. It lasted only a moment, but he was completely blown away by it. Everything about her that had pushed him away at first: her arrogance, her rudeness, her anger, it was all gone, revealing the real person they had hidden earlier.

"Thank you", she said. "That helps a lot, Jaune."

He felt his cheeks burning.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. I wasn't prepared for an attack of this level. _

Springing to his feet, he looked resolutely away from her, unable to meet her eyes.

"I-it's no big deal. You- uh… you t-take care, Weiss. Gottago, seeya, bye!"

With that, he all but ran for it.

Weiss watched him retreat with a smile.

He had gotten infinitely more interesting since their first meeting.

Naive in some ways, mature in others. And, she had seen his mysterious powers and skills.

Who exactly _was _Jaune Souther?

She looked forward to finding out.


	5. Faunus Rights and Disciplining Huntsmen

**Author's note: Thank you, all of you. For all the support, all the favs, follows and encouraging reviews. Thank you all so much, for making this huge. This story's got places to go, and we're gonna go to 'em. Without further ado, let's get this show on the road!**

**Chapter 4: Faunus Rights and Disciplining Huntsmen**

Jaune ate from the egg rice in front of him, relishing its taste and alternating between it and the smoked meat. He had to admit: whoever was in charge of meals at Beacon knew what they were doing. For a brief moment, he wondered how the school was able to afford all its facilities. He himself hadn't needed to pay any fees. He supposed that as a Hunter training institute, the place received grants from the government or donations from well-to-do folks. After all, it was in the interest of people to make sure that there were warriors who could keep them safe from Grimm and bandits.

_And all the other threats roaming around in the wilds. _Jaune had met more than one foe whose name and skills had no mention in any of the classes he had attended here so far. Like his own art of Hokuto Shinken, he suspected there were other forces out there that preferred to keep themselves secret. Like Jotaro's mysterious Stand, a guardian spirit capable of taking physical form, and enormously powerful. Or Vampires like Alucard, who lived among humans, blending in without being noticed.

_Yeah, I wouldn't mind meeting either of those guys again._

Speaking of which, he had another class to attend after lunch, one he looked forward to.

Combat Training.

This class was taught by Glynda Goodwitch, and focused more on fighting other humans than on Grimm. Since the styles and weapons used by each student was unique to them, there were no combined drills. Instead, Goodwitch offered personalized advice and exercises to those in need of them. Various situations were simulated, and the basic principles for dealing with them were learnt. A lot of time was spent in one-on-one spars, duels between students. The participants and observers all had much to learn from them. Jaune had come to notice many things during these duels, details about the methods of Hunters, and individual tendencies of the various students, all of which he had filed away carefully in his brain.

"Jaune? You want some of these pancakes?"

He looked up to see the orange haired girl sitting across him. In front of her was a plate on which was a pile of pancakes about the height of an average computer screen, and layered liberally with a syrup so sweet, he felt a sugar rush coming on just from the smell.

_How is she going to burn all these calories?_

It was a question to which he had yet to find an answer. He suspected it might have to do with her perpetually hyperactive state, something he was gradually getting used to.

"Umm… no, thanks, Nora. I'll leave 'em to you."

She shrugged and proceeded to devour them, finishing off the pile in the space of about three seconds flat. The process was both fascinating and terrifying to watch, somewhat akin to a real-time display of a black hole consuming matter unfortunate enough to be within the pull of its gravity. He shot a look at Ren, who shook his head slightly, indicating it was best not to question it.

_Such Zen-like calm. I have much to learn from him._

In the meantime, Jaune decided to stick to his personal needs of carbs, fats and proteins.

Next to him, eating much the same meal was the red-haired girl who had become his partner. Over the past two weeks, Jaune had discovered he had much in common with her. For one thing, she actively engaged in weight training, which he did as well, leading the two of them to work out together. Their diets were similar too. All of this was to maintain strength and muscle mass, which were crucial to both their fighting styles. Not enough warriors were mindful of the fact that the strength of Aura increased with one's vitality and health, and a stronger body had more Aura, which in turn, boosted one's physical abilities even further. It was a powerful loop, and one that both of them made full use of.

In addition to training, they had, despite widely varying methods, strangely similar views on life. They were both curious, and interested in learning more about different peoples, different creatures, different ways of life. They were also both calm and level-headed, something Jaune was thankful for, since he could always count on her opinion in any group exercise.

He shot her a quick glance, and was greeted with a questionable look, to which he responded by shaking his head.

_She's reliable. And if it's her, I could probably share my true reasons for coming here. She'd understand. In fact, she'd even be a great help. But…_

Jaune was reluctant to drag her further into his life, just as he was with everyone else.

"What's uuuuuup?"

A loud voice drew him out of his reverie. He turned to its source, and noted the arrival of the Gold Dragon of the first years, otherwise known as the Loud One.

Yang frowned slightly at him.

"Why do I suddenly feel the urge to punch you?" she muttered.

"Careful with that anger. Can't be good for the hair."

Almost immediately, Yang yelped slightly, face paling as she brushed her luxurious hair possessively.

It had taken Jaune approximately a week to learn this little hack, which had so far never failed to get him out of a verbal spar with Yang, where she would invariably dominate with a combination of poor puns and accurate one-liners.

"That's ten times now," Ruby muttered, taking a seat next to her sister. Of course, everyone aside from Yang was keeping count of Jaune's use of the method. While they had initially been sceptical, their disbelief had turned to awed admiration when they discovered that he had done the impossible: found a way to quieten the dragon.

"_Yes,"_ Jaune whispered, far too ecstatic at the simple victory, as he held out a fist under the table, and felt Pyrrha silently bump it while sighing.

"Sooner or later, she'll figure out your gimmick," she murmured.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," Jaune replied.

"Hello, Jaune," said a familiar voice as a presence slipped into the empty seat on his other side.

Almost immediately, he felt his face warm up. Turning his head just barely enough that he was able to make out her face in the edge of his vision, he looked, already knowing who it was.

Weiss gracefully sat down next to him, placing her plate on the table. The whole action was performed naturally, suggesting a sort of familiarity with him. Unconsciously registering that fact, his fact heated up even more. A part of his mind registered the fact that she smelled sweet without being cloying, and before he could stop himself, he took a deep breath. Still looking at her only out of the corner of his eye, he was able to make out that she smiled slightly at him.

_Critical hit. Systems at risk._

"Er… hi-hello…" he was able to stutter out.

_Real smooth_, he chastised himself mentally.

This was sort of a regular thing now. To his relief, he had gotten more or less okay at dealing with the other girls. Weiss was the exception.

Whenever the two met now, she would give him the same slight smile while, almost sly in a way, while her eyes glinted. In a way, it felt like she was teasing him (which, of course, she was, though she wasn't going to admit that anytime soon). For her, it never ceased being funny that the reliable, mysterious one of their year was also a complete goofball when it came to girls. It was entertaining to see his stuttering attempts at maintaining conversation, but there were brief flashes where he occasionally revealed a little about himself, although not deliberately. To Weiss, this was a way to get to know him.

From across that table, Blake rolled her eyes, and Jaune shot her a pleading look, silently begging her not to say anything. She gave a subtle thumbs-up before proceeding to devour an entire fish in much the same way Nora had eaten the pancakes.

"... yo, check out these ears, man."

"Aaaanh! Stop it!"

Jaune heard the girl's voice, clearly in pain. Turning around, he saw what was happening.

It was a second year student Jaune had seen before. The girl was a rabbit Faunus, and at the moment, her ears were being grabbed by Cardin.

"Wow, these are sensitive, huh?"

The scene had clearly been escalating for a while: there was something a crowd gathered around. Which meant… no one had stepped in to do a thing. Blake bit her lips tightly, seeming like she was on the verge of intervening.

"These pigs…" muttered Weiss, also likewise about ready to give them a piece of her mind.

CRDL were known bullies, and more or less black sheep in their own year, due to being mostly disliked. However, they had enough friends in other years that they could continue tormenting people without fear. There were rumours about them being connected in other places too.

Jaune calmly wiped his hands and stood up. As he approached, none of the members of CRDL heard him, until he was standing right next to Cardin. Grabbing him by the wrist, he forced him to let go, and kept his grip on the boy's arm.

"That's enough."

Cardin frowned slightly, almost as if unable to believe anyone would dare stand up to him.

"You're feeling brave, aren't you-"

He stopped when he realized he was unable to pull his arm free. His eyes widened slightly. Jaune didn't appear to be trying very hard. Ultimately, he let go by himself, turning around a little to whisper quietly to the Faunus girl.

"Are you OK?"

She nodded.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"You can go if you want. I'll take care of the rest."

She appeared slightly fearful, until Jaune smiled reassuringly.

He was kind, but she noticed his back was broad… and there was something about him that said that he knew what he was doing.

She nodded and backed away, but didn't leave.

"Why, you little piece of shit, you think you're some kind of white knight-"

"Combat class is in ten minutes," Jaune said softly. "Why don't we settle it there?"

Cardin's eyes widened for a second, before they gleamed with malice as he grinned.

"Fine. We'll settle it there."

As he and his friends walked away, murmuring broke out. The scene had drawn several observers, all of whom were abuzz. While fighting was pretty much the order of business at Beacon, this fight was _personal_. And that meant there were stakes.

Which meant… this was going to be good.

First, second and third years texted each other, and within minutes, the news had spread like wildfire. By the time Combat Class rolled around, the Training Hall was _packed._

Of course, there were no rules against students gathering to watch other classes. And at the moment, _anyone _who wasn't actually in class was in the Hall, in the stands.

Goodwitch, of course, was not part of the student rumour network, but looking at the jam packed Hall, she knew something problematic was about to occur. Shaking her head, she asked the question.

"Who would like to volunteer first?"

All eyes turned to the single raised arm.

Jaune _Souther_ stood up.

"I'll go first."

Goodwitch's eyes widened in alarm.

Jaune had so far not fought a duel in Combat Class, and she had been happy about that fact. His abilities were unknown, different from anything she had encountered before, and she already knew that his skills were far above _any_ first year student to match. It was to everyone's benefit that he had not chosen to take part yet: there wasn't an opponent in the year who was ready for him.

But he had volunteered now. And she had no way to refuse other than outright announcing that he outclassed all of them.

Biting her lips, she nodded.

"Very well, step into the arena."

Jaune began to make his way down, when Nora whispered.

"Break his legs."

Turning back, Jaune sent her a grin that froze her in place.

"_I'll be breaking much more than just those."_

He calmly walked down the stands and onto the platform.

Goodwitch looked around.

"And who would like to be his opponent?"

Cardin raised his hand, grinning.

"I'll do it. I'll take that punk on."

Goodwitch all but facepalmed. She knew exactly where this was going.

And once more, she couldn't stop him.

"Fine. Get in the arena."

As he began to come down, Jaune spoke.

Shouldering his mace, Cardin made his way down to the arena, clad in full armour. Jaune, of course, was wearing his leather travel clothes.

When the two of them were standing across from each other, Goodwitch spoke.

"Begin."  
**  
**Cardin started to walk towards Jaune.

"So, Mr. White Knight. Guess we finally-"

He never finished what he was saying.

A foot smashed him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. He landed on his front and skid back, armour scratching the ground.

"Slow and unprepared. How did you make it to Beacon?"

Jaune was advancing now, walking with his arms by his sides. His demeanour was completely different from his normal unassuming self.

Cardin struggled and pushed himself up to his feet.

The front push kick was a basic move. With his mace, he should have had the advantage in reach. In addition, the fear of getting hit with something that heavy should have prevented opponents from attacking head on. A move like that kick shouldn't even have happened.

But it had.

And it had been too quick for him to react to.

He shook his head.

_Caught me off guard,_ he thought. _Won't happen ag_-

A fist hurtled towards his face. He felt his aura block the punch, but the force of it snapped his head back, and he had to tilt his body to avoid having his neck broken. Before he could even begin to think about what to do, a second punch connected with his solar plexus, denting his armour.

It felt heavier than a sledgehammer. All the breath had been knocked out of him, and the dented armour was making it hard to draw more in. The sheer pain of it temporarily robbed him of all thought and speech.

The crowd was dead silent.

Seniors had come expecting a fun show.

Instead, they were watching a systematic beatdown.

With his opponent incapacitated, Jaune casually stepped beside him, and effortlessly, contemptuously, swept his legs from under him while shoving his head, sending him sprawling on the ground.

While Hokuto Shinken had a myriad of lethal techniques, it drew techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Western Boxing, Wrestling, and many other schools. In other words, Jaune was more than equipped to discipline someone without killing them. ****

And… he was pissed.

He had seen it before in the wilds. Huntsmen taking advantage of the weak. Women, children. Those who couldn't fight. Faunus.

As then, so now.

He didn't tolerate it then, and he wasn't going to start now.

Cardin's aura was nearly in the red, but it didn't matter. The fight was already over, but not officially so.

Jaune reached out and pulled his mace out of his grip. Holding the head with one hand, he punched it with the other. An impact like hammer on anvil rang out.

"No way…" said Yang.

The mace's head had a fist shaped depression in it.

Again, Jaune struck it.

And then a third time. And a fourth. Finally, with one last punch, the former weapon was rendered about as flat as a frying pan.

Cardin at this point was backing away from him. He wanted to not be in the same room, school, or continent as this monster in front of him, that had managed to demolish a handcrafted reinforced Grimm killing weapon with his bare hands.

"What's the matter? You aren't prepared to die? That's a shame. Everyone else here is. That's the risk we all took when we came to Beacon. The rest of us are ready to die to protect the innocent. You're the harrassing them. You should be ready to die for that. So tell me: was it worth your life?"

Cardin looked towards Goodwitch, but she couldn't help. Jaune hadn't broken any rules, and psychological tactics such as words and intimidation were fair play in Combat Class.

Cardin backed away until he fell off the platform, with his Aura in the yellow.

Dead silence in the Hall.

"So a pathetic coward in the end. I hope you all saw that."

Jaune turned to everyone watching. He had made this a spectacle on purpose.

"This is what a bully looks like on the inside. Take a good look. It's the sort of scum you should strive not to be."

"The match is over," said Goodwitch. "Mr Winchester has lost via ring out."

She wanted to end this humiliating display as quick as possible. While it was clear there was some kind of subtext to this "fight", it had been hard to watch a formidable Hunter-in-training get utterly beaten in every way.

What made it even worse was that Jaune hadn't even been trying to defeat him. It was more like he was making an example out of him.

She received a message on her scroll and checked it.

"All right. We will move on to the next fight. Mr Souther, you should go see the Headmaster in his office. He has asked for you."


	6. Infamous

**Author's Note: Overwhelming support from all of you. Thank you so much. I won't lie: this story has potential. So much of it. I hope I'll be able to live up to it. Kyuketsuki-fenikkusu pointed out that people are never truly black or white, but shades of grey. This is really important. Writing a fanfic allows me to focus on certain characters in ways the canon series can't. And I hope I'll be able to show you different sides of them. This particular chapter will start to show some of the struggles Jaune must face.**

**Oh, we now have cover art, by the way, by yours truly.**

**Without further ado, let's get on with it!**

**Chapter 5: Infamous**

Jaune waited patiently as the elevator ascended. He took a deep breath, maintaining his calm. This was a meeting he wanted, and it might as well happen now. Within moments, he arrived at his destination, and the metal doors slid open, revealing the office reserved for Beacon's headmaster.

The young Shinken walked forward, taking a quick glance around. Surprisingly, he couldn't spot any hidden defence mechanisms such as turrets or electrified net-launchers. The room was, surprisingly enough, just an office, albeit an elegant one in its own way. A large mahogany desk occupied the main position, and behind it was a leather revolving chair. Documents were neatly arranged on the desk, and a scroll was placed on it as well. There was other furniture, such as cabinets, but no trophy cases or anything of the sort. The glass windows that comprised the walls gave a view of the entire campus, and even the world beyond.

However, none of this was the main focus of Jaune's attention. He transferred his eyes back on to the man standing behind the desk, waiting for him. He was a decent height, and despite being slender, had good posture. The cane he carried was not a walking aid, or something to lean on. It was evident that he was perfectly fit, but the way he held the staff suggested it was an extension of himself.

_Likely has good form in combat, and exudes grace and balance. Confident too, but not arrogant. I'll have to watch out for him_.

Brown eyes met Jaune's own blue ones, and it occurred to him that the glasses were not to compensate for faulty vision. However, they were not purely ornamental either.

_Interesting. What sights do they reveal, I wonder?_

And finally, the white hair.

Ozpin _looked_ young. But he _felt_ old.

As the young fighter studied him, the headmaster too was carefully observing and analysing Jaune.

The blond warrior was tall and wide shouldered, skeletal size larger than average, suggesting natural affinity to physical activity. But he did not move like a born fighter. Those individuals possessed a sort of almost childlike grace to their motions, a result of being able to naturally manipulate their bodies, and the confidence that came from knowing that fighting was as easy as breathing to them.

Jaune, on the other hand, moved light on his feet, and loose, but there was a weathered wariness to him that suggested that this grace was the result of long, intense training. He was not a born fighter. He had _made_ himself one.

His exposed arms rippled with lean muscle without being overblown, and his core and legs were similarly built. The amount of muscle was ideal for maximizing strength without compromising speed and stamina.

The combination of that, and his movements, instantly confirmed to Ozpin what he had already seen in the footage from the Initiation.

Fighting was ingrained in Jaune's very being, and his ability as a hand-to-hand combatant was obvious.

_Strong, fast, solid fundamentals, and adaptable. In an enclosed space, he would destroy my vessel before I could do anything,_ thought Ozpin.

And finally, his eyes.

These were _not_ the eyes of a young, hopeful Huntsman who had ventured out to save lives. These eyes were carrying burdens, hiding behind them the weight of untold tragedies and suffering.

_He's seen death, up-close. Many times._

This was a hardened warrior, more akin to Qrow or Raven than any of the people on his team.

It made sense, of course, given who he was. Who he had learned from.

But he was still young. He could still change.

Jaune came to a stop exactly ten feet away from Ozpin.

This was the optimal distance.

Any further, and Jaune's instincts told him Ozpin would be able to attack without risking damage. He did not believe he carried a gun, but he sensed an energy he had encountered before a few times… _magic._

Any closer, and Ozpin would not be able to react in time to escape. He sensed the young boy's Aura, which far surpassed his own.

Thus, at exactly ten feet, neutral ground was established.

Jaune felt a smirk coming on to his face, one that was mirrored by Ozpin.

"Are you going to throw the desk at me?"

"It wouldn't hurt you even if it connected."

The two laughed lightly, momentarily, before both their expressions turned serious.

Ozpin picked up a mug from the desk in front of him, and drank from the coffee in it.

Adjusting his glasses slightly, he spoke softly.

"It has been many years since I have met one of you. Welcome to Beacon, bearer of the Souken."

Jaune's eyes widened for a second in surprise.

He looked at Ozpin warily.

"You know of the Divine Fist of the North Star?" he asked. This was the first time he had come across someone who knew of it.

Ozpin nodded.

"I would be hard-pressed not to. Over the ages, it has been instrumental to shaping Remnant", he said. In a softer voice, he added, "And of course, I have met the 64th successor. The Saviour at the Century's End."

Jaune started, unable to suppress his reaction. His fingers curled and uncurled.

"You knew my Master?"

Ozpin laughed. It was a sound tinged with… sorrow? It was hard to tell, but Jaune could have sworn that is what it felt like.

"To say I 'knew' him would be incorrect. Kenshiro was not an… easy man to know. He was guarded, and private. But… I knew of him, certainly. And I had met him. Twice."

Jaune's head reeled with the implications, but he managed to control his thoughts. Ozpin did not seem to be lying. And if what he was saying was true, then the possibilities ranged wide. He wanted to ask. There was so much he wanted to know. How did they meet? What happened in those meetings? But… to ask those questions would be to give Ozpin the upper hand. Show him that he held at least some leverage over him.

Kenshiro had not revealed everything about his past to Jaune. But the warrior knew one thing for certain. Whatever he would need to survive, his master had revealed. In other words, if he had omitted any mention of Ozpin… it was because he had not considered the apparent wizard a threat Jaune was incapable of dealing with.

Standing firm, Jaune decided to level the playing field.

"Master met many people during his travels. It appears you are one of them."

He left it at that. By not adding a question or qualifying statement, he was letting the older man know that in this matter at least, he didn't have any information that he could use to strongarm Jaune.

Ozpin's eyes narrowed for a moment.

Jaune continued.

"Master was never interested greatly by Hunters. We met all sorts of them. Eventually, I started to wonder: what sort of place must train them? It got to the point where I was curious enough that I decided to see for myself."

Ozpin nodded slightly.

"And so, you forged transcripts to come here. Why go to all the effort? You could have taken a qualifying test, you know."

"One that would have given away who I am, by the looks of it."

"Why so eager to conceal your identity, Jaune _Arc_?"

The emphasis on the title made it obvious that he was mentioning it to gauge Jaune's reaction. It was a good move, one that would have worked on most anyone.

But as Jaune saw it, he had forsaken that name as soon as he had become Kenshiro's disciple, meaning it didn't hold any power over him any more. He certainly wasn't bothered by anyone knowing what he _used_ to be.

"Jaune _Souther_," the Shinken corrected. "I'm no Arc. Not anymore."

Ozpin once more narrowed his eye.

"Forsaking the Arc legacy?" he asked.

"I carry the legacy of Hokuto Shinken."

Ozpin examined the young man carefully. Expression unreadable, he continued.

"And the carrier of that legacy cannot be an Arc?"

The question was simple enough, on the surface. It sounded as though he was asking why Jaune had to give up being an Arc, give up on his family, in order to practice Hokuto Shinken. It was disguised this way deliberately, to appeal to emotions.

However, the true meaning was hidden beneath.

The Arcs were Hunters, for many generations. It was widely known that to be an Arc, in most cases, meant to be a Hunter.

Ozpin was asking why the Shinken could not be a Huntsman.

_A Huntsman._

In other words, yet another one of _Ozpin's _students. One of his warriors. One of his pieces.

Jaune saw through it right away.

"Do you know the purpose of the Shinken?" he asked, changing the topic.

Taken aback slightly, Ozpin searched his memories. He first became aware of the art's existence when he met one of the earlier successors, a thousand years ago. It was already a well established art then, deadly, powerful, and equipped for the battlefield. Indeed, its potency was such that Ozpin had approached the master, only to be refused.

Since then, he had continued to observe, but his interest had gradually waned. Firstly because the style was next to impossible to learn simply by watching. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, because through the generations, none of the successors had been interested in the war between humanity and the Grimm.

The war between Ozpin and Salem.

However, he had come to know of the style one thousand years ago. It probably came into existence even earlier.

"I do not," he answered honestly.

Jaune nodded. This was as expected.

"Originally, Hokuto Shinken was created as an assassination art. Given the amount of intrigue in royal courts, there was a need for a powerful method to ensure that enemies of the state could be swiftly dealt with, while the ruler was protected. However, during its creation, and its subsequent growth, it became evident that the power of the art far surpassed initial requirements. Wielders of the Shinken could act with impunity, and kill as they pleased."

Ozpin listened cautiously. He was not aware which kingdom Jaune was talking about. Was this from a time before the four that currently existed? Regardless, his words were ominous, and indeed, they reflected his own worries about the practitioners of the style.

"You can see, I believe, how this alarmed those in power. Not only them, but all feared the Shinken, feared that one day, an emperor would rise from among them, and rule all with an iron fist. To allay those fears, the ruling Hokuto bloodline swore an oath."

If Ozpin looked at the sky at that moment, he would have seen seven stars burning bright even in the daylight.

"To never seek to rule by force. To never allow their power to be used by others to gain supremacy. To always uphold the balance, and protect the innocent."

A fierce fire momentarily flashed in Jaune's eyes.

"Where evil lurks, I must destroy. Whether it be Grimm, or bandit… or Hunter. That is why… I can never join their number."

Jaune had laid his purpose bare, preferring an open display of the truth, or at least part of it, to beating around the bush.

In response, a fire burned in Ozpin's eyes as well.

"A threat to the order of Hunters… and a force that refuses to be controlled…" he muttered.

The fire passed, however, and he sighed.

"You are the same as the previous successors I have met," he said, with just a hint of wistfulness. He looked at Jaune.

"They have always acted on their own, relying on their own sense of justice. And… as reluctant as I am to admit it, they have saved many thousands of lives. Why now? Your line has always existed in the shadows, living in the wilds. Why come forward and reveal your existence now? Why come to Beacon?"

The headmaster too was laying cards on the table. Instead of searching for weaknesses, he chose to simply ask what his reason for coming here was. Sometimes, the direct method worked best.

"I need information," said Jaune slowly. "Knowledge. Every day, tens, hundreds of Hunters are sent into the wilds. While not all of them are pure of heart, there are many among them who fight honestly to protect the weak. Day after day, they're sent to die, in a war that doesn't end. It's been going on for thousands of years now. Why has no one seen the foolishness of this? Kill one Grimm, and another takes its place. How? Where do they come from? What is their true nature? These are questions that need to be asked. Thousands of lives can be saved if we know the answers."

He carefully observed Ozpin's reaction. As expected, there was a flash in his eyes, before he quickly suppressed it. He _knew._ At least some of what Jaune wanted to know, he could reveal. He had _magic._ More of it than the few Jaune had encountered before. Considerably more. It made perfect sense that he would know. Even before coming here, Jaune had ascertained that Ozpin was high up in the council of Hunters. Meaning, he held political influence as well. He was one of those ordering Hunters out into the wild, to die.

He _knew_. He knew the truth. And Jaune would find out what it was. Now that he had seen that flash of apprehension, he knew that Ozpin had the information. He had a mark. He would not lose him.

The wizard's expression was more neutral now. Guarded. He was aware that Jaune had caught onto him. But he could use that to his advantage, if he played his cards right.

"Let us imagine for a moment that I did indeed have the information you seek. I have no reason to give it to someone who has admitted to being a vigilante. Someone who has travelled with a confirmed murderer."

"Don't insult my master!" snarled Jaune.

His Aura flared threateningly, causing Ozpin's hair to flutter wildly.

"Calm, Mr _Souther_. Kenshiro had the rare ability to remain cold as ice no matter the predicament he was in. You would do well to emulate that trait."

Jaune breathed deeply, internally cursing himself for losing control even briefly.

"What do you want?" he asked. Ozpin clearly had a price.

"For starters, a promise that you will not, at the least, kill a student or faculty member of this school, or harm them."

"How about the insects that torture others?"

"You are referring to Mr Winchester and his friends. While I agree that their actions are inexcusable, they are not yet irredeemable. I believe they may yet change. Be of service to society."

There was an earnestness to Ozpin's face and voice that had been missing before. For the first time since the conversation began, he was not trying to probe or push the advantage, trying to manipulate. This was him being honest.

_So he puts it on the line when his students are at stake. But if he cares so much for them…_

"Why do you still send them to die then?"

"Because there is no other way," Ozpin said, looking down, in a resigned voice.

Jaune took a step forward.

"I don't understa-"

"Mr Souther. I will allow you to conduct your research here. I will even share my knowledge with you, but you must realize. By your own terms, you are not one of us. Therefore, if I am to help you, I must have something in return. I will not ask you to abandon your code. Instead, I implore you: perform your duty as Shinken."

Ozpin stood firm, and spoke for the first time in a manner that seemed to Jaune befitting a teacher.

"Protect my students.. Protect this school, Godfist. Protect the hearts that came here. Even the darkest of them have hope. Let them have the chance to be the people they can be."

This time, Jaune was forced back.

Involuntarily, he remembered things he had tried hard to keep buried deep in his mind.

For all its power, Hokuto Shinken was not perfect.

The nightmares he had seen haunted him still.

"_Please… save us…"_

Bitten by Grimm. Arms and legs clawed off, organs missing. People bleeding to death, crying. Begging Kenshiro to save them. Desperately begging, though they knew they were dying. Others, accepting their end, and asking them to pass on their last words to families or friends.

Afflicted by cancer. Poisoned by radiation. Eroding from within. The Shinken could not save them. They had cried and begged, and Jaune's fingers had near dug into his own arm from the force with which he had gripped it as he struggled to keep his composure.

Hunters, noble ones, who had put their lives on the line, dying, betrayed by their own. Gunshot wounds, stab and slash wounds. Vital arteries cut, decapitated. Kenshiro could not save them, and neither could Jaune.

"I would have done it anyway," he muttered, clenching his fists. Looking up, he faced Ozpin.

"Well, Mr Souther?"

"I will protect this school. You have my word. As long as I am given the knowledge I seek, no one from Beacon, student, teacher or staff, will die."

"Then you have my word as well. I will give you the answers you seek. But not all at once. I hope you understand the reason behind that."

Jaune nodded. It was to be expected.

"I still want something now."

Ozpin smiled slightly.

"One question then."

"Why did you say there was no choice but to send Hunters to die against the Grimm?"

"Because I do not know of any way to eradicate their presence completely, Mr Souther. No source to cut off. No permanent solution. They are an ever growing disease, and the only treatment I know is to keep it at bay."

Jaune couldn't sense any falsehood in that statement. It wasn't the whole truth, but that was okay. There was time to obtain the rest.

For now, he had learnt that he might be the only one who was considering a possibility that _didn't_ involve destroying all the Grimm at once. He turned and walked away. Classes were done for the day. It was nearing evening. He might as well go back to dorm and relax a little.

**Meanwhile, Team RWBY Dorm:**

"So… is anyone going to bring up the obvious?" asked Yang, closing the reference book she had been trying, unsuccessfully, to read for the past half an hour. She was lying on her bed, already changed into her casuals, in this case, a pair of shorts and a loose top. All around her, the rest of her team lay in varying by similar positions of lethargy. The homework they'd been given was tedious, as tended to be the case for Professor Port's lessons.

The blonde haired brawler was the first to officially give up. She had zero intention of slogging through the rest of this archaic text trying to decipher the minute differences in regional variants of Beowulves, especially since they all reacted the same way to a shotgun blast: by dying.

She looked around. Ruby was wearing comically oversized glasses, scrunching up her eyes as she squinted, thinking it might improve her concentration. Elsewhere, Blake appeared to be doing well, but Yang could see the top of _Ninjas of Love_ sticking out from behind her textbook. Even Weiss, who was normally the most studious of them, had taken to lying down in bed instead of sitting at a desk.

Glad for an excuse, Ruby closed her book as well, although she was hesitant to actually address the topic.

Yang was talking, of course, about the beatdown Jaune had delivered earlier to Cardin.

While none of them was a fan of Cardin, and all of them wanted to teach him a lesson, they all had to admit, what Jaune had done was… uncomfortable to watch. It wasn't as though he had injured him physically. There hadn't even been a scratch on the boy.

No, it was the way he had utterly outclassed him in every way, and rubbed that fact right in his face. It was the way he had not even allowed him to try a single blow. It was the way he had made him look like an untrained weakling, and then proceeded to destroy his weapon.

To a Hunter, a weapon was like an extension of their body. A lifelong partner. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was a part of their soul. Out in the battlefield, it was one of the only thing keeping one from death. And so, it became a trusted, precious ally, and a symbol of one's own strength and worth.

And Jaune had mercilessly demolished it with his bare hands. It had been like watching a public emasculation. In essence, Jaune had showed through his actions, that the very symbol of Cardin the Hunter, wasn't even capable of matching his punches.

As much as they hated Cardin, even RWBY had to admit they hadn't wished that kind of punishment on him.

"He went a little overboard, I think," said Ruby softly.

Even Blake, the Faunus, who had the most reason out of any of them for wishing punishment on Cardin, had to nod in agreement.

"He did," she said simply. Blake wasn't any stranger to harsh punishments. She had seen what happened to traitors in the White Fang. And she knew… this wasn't the right way to change someone. It wouldn't make Cardin see the error of his ways. It would simply break him. Yes, there was one less person torturing Faunus. But… there was also one less person who might have become an ally. And, in the worst case, Jaune's actions in favour of the Faunus would turn more humans against them.

"Guy went full savage on his ass," said Yang, recalling the full thing with perfect clarity. She wasn't able to smile at the memory. She enjoyed fighting, but that hadn't been a fight. Watching it had been intensely uncomfortable.

Weiss remained silent.

She was… torn.

It had been unexpected. It wasn't Cardin she was concerned about.

It was Jaune.

That had been… a different side of him.

The kindness and light in his eyes, that had won her over, that she found so warm, had been entirely missing. Gone had been the lovable awkward dork she enjoyed sitting with. The naive yet wise boy who could see the good in everyone, and who always found a way to lift her spirits.

In his place, was a boy who walked with a confident, effortless swagger. He hadn't looked at Cardin as an opponent.

He had looked at him as an insect.

Those river-blue eyes had turned ice cold, devoid of mercy.

The change had been sudden and alarming.

Instead of the reliable, mysterious boy, there was some kind of monster in human form. Something about him made Weiss think he could take a life with no hesitation. Kill a man and drop his dead body without an iota of regret.

She didn't like it.

She didn't like this side of him.

"... Remnant to Weiss. Anyone home?"

She realized with a start that she had been lost in thought.

Yang's voice brought her back to reality, and she found all three of her teammates looking at her with concern.

"Yeah," she said.

"Got nothing to say on the matter?" asked Yang. She was surprised that the most outspoken one of them all had so far been silent about the episode.

"I… think I need some air," said Weiss. Ignoring their looks, she got up and left the room. Closing the door behind her, she exhaled, leaning against it.

She felt cloistered inside.

_Maybe a walk outside will be good._

As she went down to corridor, she saw a figure approaching from the other end.

It was the one person she couldn't bear to look at right now.

_Jaune._

He had reverted back to his normal self again, waving awkwardly at her as he came closer.  
It was as if the events of the afternoon hadn't happened at all.

Weiss felt sick. Sick that under the wrapping of that sweet boy was the monster that she had witnessed earlier.

She didn't want to get near him.

She didn't want to talk to him.

She didn't even want to see him.

As he came closer, she refused to look at him.

Jaune noticed how different her reaction was compared to how she normally was around him.

"Hey, is everything all right?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped. "I just… need to be alone for a while."

"You don't look fine…"

"I'm all right. You… should go."

She looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of a flicker of hurt on his face, but he hid it immediately, expression smoothing over, becoming neutral.

"All right. Take care."

Although the words were fine, she sensed no feeling behind them. They had simply been uttered for the sake of ending the conversation.

With a flash of pain, she noted that it had taken all of a second for him to become distant. Nothing much changed on the surface, but somehow, she felt like she had just closed a door.

She watched as he walked past, entering the JNPR dorm.

_What have I done?_

Jaune could hear the sounds of conversation from within both dorms. They were discussing him.

_Well, it isn't entirely unexpected._

He didn't resent them for it. Deep inside, he knew his teammates were good people, as were team RWBY. Even Weiss. But they hadn't been ready to see the way he handled things when pushed. They couldn't understand. As he heard bits and pieces of what they said, the consensus was that he had gone too far.

It wasn't new. Many times before, both Kenshiro and himself had been reviled and driven away because of their way of doing things. More often than not, even the people they helped ended up hating them.

_Maybe this is for the best. They will only suffer if they get closer to me._

It had been a pleasant thing while it had lasted. But he had had no illusions that it would last long.

Adjusting mentally, he deliberately made his footsteps slightly louder so that his teammates would hear him coming. As expected, the noise from within stopped. This way, he was able to enter without them worrying that he had overheard them.

As expected, they looked at him awkwardly. Silence followed, and none of them said anything. There was a distance between them now, and the three of them didn't look at him the same as before.

Ren was guarded.

Nora looked at him as if he was a stranger, confused what to think of him.

And Pyrrha… for a moment, he thought she looked almost pleading, as if she wanted him to explain. Any explanation at all would do.

But Jaune did not give one. Grabbing his casuals, he headed to the bathroom to change.

"We should go down for dinner," he said. Things would be much more difficult now, but he was still the leader of the team, and that meant _being the leader_, even if he wasn't truly one of them.

Dinner was… uncomfortable.

Jaune was aware he was being stared at. Almost everyone he passed looked at him, and most whispered about him to each other without much subtlety. It seemed videos of the episode had been circulated via Scroll message.

"_He's the one…"_

"_The one that beat up that first year…"_

"_He broke his weapon. Who the hell does that?"_

"_He doesn't carry any himself. Goddamn freak."_

"_That was straight up bullying, man."_

It was amazing how the tables could turn.

A single act of standing up for his beliefs had made Jaune a bully, and Cardin the victim.

Shaking his head, he collected his food as usual, and began to make his way over to the rest of his team, only to notice that they looked at him with trepidation. It was obvious why. By association with him, the rest of them too were receiving unfavourable attention.

_I see. Guess there's no choice then._

While he was used to being an outcast himself, he could not allow his teammates to suffer the same fate. They weren't prepared for it mentally. And… he didn't want them to experience that life.

_These are good people. No reason to let them share my burdens. _

This too, had been something Kenshiro had warned him about.

He had asked his master time and again why he didn't settle down somewhere. Why he never protested despite the monumentally unfair treatment he was again. It angered Jaune to see the man who saved so many lives being treated as some kind of monster.

Kenshiro had smiled, a rare thing for him.

"_You're kind. That, more than anything, tells me you're strong. Kindness is the privilege of the strong. The weak have to struggle just to survive. Remember that, Jaune. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. Do not judge them too harshly."_

At long last, he understood what he had said.

_So be it, then._

Pointedly, he turned away from Pyrrha, Ren and Nora, instead making his way over to one of the empty tables, where he took a seat, and began to eat. Playing the role of an asshole wasn't particularly difficult, at least in terms of skill required.

That was a good thing, since Jaune would have to get used to it. 


	7. Scars and Hearts

**Author's Note: Any of you played the new Devil May Cry 5? The game is honestly so good, it left me depressed. The sheer amount of love, dedication and care that went into each and every detail is nothing short of stunning. I was crying inside. I'd at least suggest you check out gameplay and cutscenes on YouTube if you're at all interested in it.**

**On a different note, I see all these reviews, and it just shows me how much this version of Jaune has resonated with everyone. I think we've all been in a situation where our very best… simply wasn't enough. It's never enough, but I think there's a part of us that goes on, anyway. And maybe this is what makes a hero. Or I might be rambling. In any case, this story isn't meant to be depressing, and things certainly get better for our hero. So without further ado, on we continue!**

**Chapter 6: Scars and Hearts  
**  
Jaune leaned back. He was on the topmost row of the stands surrounding the arena in the Training Hall. It was Combat Class. While he was keeping track of the action using his able to sense Auras, he didn't bother to actually look often. The seats around him were empty, for several rows, and he was grateful for the solitude. The rest of the class was gathered close to the front, near the platform where the duels took place.

This was his newfound position in most classes. Right at the back, away from the others. This way, at least, he didn't feel as uncomfortable. Up-close, he was mostly subjected to people turning to stare at him every few seconds, or whispering to each other about him. While he wasn't a stranger to hatred, this new form of it, from people who were very much his own age, and some of whom he had been on friendly terms with until recently, was unfamiliar. It unsettled him. It was better to keep his distance, then, rather than force himself to face more of it.

Well, apart from the obvious fact that it was a bother, his actual performance in classes remained unaffected. He was top in most physical courses, and his theory scores were high as well, since he spent plenty of time studying on his own from the library's store of resources.

He directed his attention to the arena when he heard Goodwitch's voice, and became aware that she was making an announcement.

"... and so you will have your first field assignment this weekend. You will be heading into Forever Fall, from where your task is to gather the sap of the trees, a valuable resource with varied uses. Be prepared. As you are already aware, the forest is home to many Grimm, and the careless may meet an unfortunate fate. That is all for today. You will depart at 0800 hours this Saturday."

_Well, that's interesting._

Truth be told, Jaune had been wanting to encounter some Grimm recently. While he had made plenty of efforts, he had not yet found anything from existing studies that brought him closer to understanding the nature of the beings. So, he had concluded that live observation was necessary. His first reaction to this, of course, was to steel himself and approach Professor Port, who taught the class on Anti-Grimm Tactics. While the man often kept individual live specimens in captivity, he unfortunately did not have any at the moment. Meaning, if Jaune wanted one, he would have to venture out and get it himself.

_Good timing._ _I should probably talk to Ozpin about bringing one back alive though. Knowing how jumpy people are here, someone will probably shoot it dead if I don't take care._

He got up and made his way out alone through the topmost exit, which no one else was using.

**Elsewhere**

Team RWBY animatedly discussed the new announcement. While the visit to Forever Fall was supposed to be for a mission, it felt more like a field trip than anything. With that many students together in one place, it felt like it was going to be a fun outing.

"What a beautiful idea," said Yang.

"Feels like a picnic," agreed Ruby.

Right with them were also three-fourths of team JNPR. Over the past few weeks, they had gotten closer to team RWBY. But unlike them, there was an underlying unease to them.

"Is… this going to be okay?" muttered Nora. She wasn't happy. While her go-to method of dealing with struggle was with a smile on her face, she couldn't really do that given the situation with their leader. While she didn't like how far Jaune had gone during the spar with Cardin, she certainly didn't think he was some sort of bully, or even a stone-cold killing machine. Perhaps she was being naive, but a part of her believed that the optimistic, bright-hearted Jaune they had come to know and like _was_ the true version of the boy. And if so, then they needed to bring that side back.

She wasn't alone in that feeling either.

Ren too had been taken aback by the episode, but he was not the sort of person to be swayed easily by the opinions of others. It occurred to him that Jaune had travelled the wilds alone. In that time, he had likely seen terrible things happen. It wasn't surprising that his method of dealing with bullies was harsher than appropriate for a school. Jaune's colder persona was intimidating. But Ren did not believe the boy was evil.

And finally, there was Pyrrha. Despite her level-headedness, she found herself unable to rationally think of the whole issue. Logically, she knew there were any number of possible explanations behind Jaune's behaviour. But they were all speculation. She knew next to nothing about his past, so she didn't know for sure what sort of person he truly was. But every instinct she had screamed that he was _not_ a remorseless bully. Some sort of freak. Deep inside, she _knew_ he had a good heart. And so, it hurt to see the way he was being painted as a villain by most students.

Above all, it hurt that he hadn't seen fit to share that burden with the rest of the team. With her.

It was true that she had been uncertain at first. Hesitant after seeing that side of him. And that had been her mistake. To doubt him. That doubt had burrowed into their relationship now. In front of everyone, she had hesitated to stand by him. And that hesitation had probably cost her his trust.

As she was about to exit the Hall, she turned, and saw his lone figure leaving as well.

_This isn't right. I know it isn't._

As evening came, things only got more awkward. Lately, Jaune had taken to returning to dorm only when it was time to sleep. He was spending less and less time with them, and saying nothing unless he absolutely needed to. In public, he would walk and sit separately, always by himself. Pyrrha was reminded uncomfortably of her own life back in Mistral. As a tournament champion and celebrity, she had been alone, despite her best efforts to make herself approachable. If anything, Jaune's situation was even worse. She had been admired.  
He was hated. It was hard to tell if the constant whispers and snide comments got to him. His face was impassive. If he was angry, if he was sad, if he was affected in any way, he gave no sign of it. He attended classes, and took part in exercises. If there were team activities, he led efficiently, but never stuck around once they were over.

It was likely he spent the evenings either on the grounds, gym or library. But it was raining heavily outside tonight, and even Jaune had opted to stay in. As a result, he was lying in bed reading a book.

_The Grimm Bestiary_, as researched, written and edited by William Warlock, was the go-to source of information on all but the rarest known Grimm. It wasn't exactly light reading, nor were any assignments due for the next day, but Jaune had it open in front of him now as he lay on his side.

It was awkward because Nora, Ren and Pyrrha were on their way to the RWBY dorm to play Cards Against Remnant. Within moments, the game would be underway, and it would get loud. Loud enough that Jaune would hear it even from this room. It would instantly be obvious that they were excluding him, had not invited him as well.

Pyrrha wondered for a moment if she should simply ask him if he wanted to come, the past few weeks notwithstanding. It would be less unpleasant than the alternative. But he looked completely focused on the book he was reading. She doubted very much that he would accept anyway.

Ultimately, unable to bring herself to say anything, she simply left with the others.

She felt at once relieved and guilty out in the hallway.

_It can't go on like this._

They knocked on the door opposite their own, and Yang opened it.

" 'Sup?" she asked, moving aside to let them enter.

"Don't ask," muttered Pyrrha.

"This about you-know-who, isn't it?"

She nodded.

"You know," said Yang. "What he did set me off, sure. But… you guys know him better than I do. And… if you trust him, then you should be with him, you know? Talk to him. Shit. We never even asked him _why _he did that."

No one said a word.

At first, they had been too surprised by his actions to question him on his reasons. And then, once they were calm enough to think of that, it was already too late.

"I doubt he'd be interested in answering us now," Nora stated, uncharacteristically serious. "I mean… we pretty much left him high and dry, didn't we."

Pyrrha looked down, unable to raise her head in shame.

Jaune was many things, but he was not some common criminal or cheap thug. He deserved better than this.

"Can we… not talk about this?" she said. "I don't really know what I can even do, or how to even speak to him now."

By unspoken agreement, nothing more was said about Jaune for the moment, and the game soon started. When they had all gotten their cards, Pyrrha noticed that the Shinken was not the only one missing.

"Where's Weiss?" she asked.

Ruby was the one to answer. She looked slightly worried, brows furrowed.

"She said she had some things to take care of. I didn't push it. She's been out of it lately."

Even as these words were being said, the aforementioned Glyph-wielding Huntress was near the roof of the building. It was pouring heavily outside, so she was seated on the stairwell instead out on the roof itself.

Time and again, the meeting from weeks ago played in her head.

The tiny flicker of hurt that had crossed Jaune's face before he had hidden it.

_I shouldn't have done that._

Even if Jaune was some sort of monster, he had been nothing but good to her. She really didn't have any grounds to treat him that way.

After she had asked him to leave, there had been a marked distance between them. With a cooler head, Weiss had planned to approach him the next day, and find out the truth, but he had looked at her as if she were a stranger.

That had hurt.

A small part of Weiss pointed out that if the persona he had shown at first was his true self, then he really was painfully shy around girls, not to mention the sort of person who didn't just go out of his way to talk to everyone. He had done that for her, only to be rebuffed in one of the coldest ways possible. She had abused the trust he'd put in her, and now would probably never have it again.

She wasn't sure why, but that fact caused her immense pain.

It was compounded by the fact that he wasn't some distant figure in her past. She saw him everyday. So close, yet so far.

In a show of grand irony, the so-called monster was taking his forced exile in rare style, displaying more composure and dignity than any of the people bad-mouthing him.

_What have I done?_

She hugged her knees to her chest.

This wasn't right.

Saturday came, and the first year teams gathered at the airfield to board the Bullheads that would transport them to Forever Fall. Weiss Schnee was among the students there. As always, she was clad in her white battledress, carrying Myrtenaster and her signature Dust rounds. Though she was equipped for a fight, her mind was distracted.

Again and again, she glanced at the lone figure sitting on one of the fences, away from everyone else. Jaune Souther was wearing the leather trousers and vest he always did during combat. A single metal shoulder pad covered his left deltoids. Weiss noticed his hair was slightly longer, and the beginnings of stubble were visible on his jaw. He looked over the horizon, seemingly lost in thought.

_I wonder what he's thinking about. Come to think: I've never asked him even once about himself, have I? _

Soon enough, the call came to board the Bullheads. Weiss got on, proceeding towards the mission, but her heart wasn't in it.

Within moments, they were in the Forever Fall, the various teams heading out in different directions to extract the sap from the trees.

Jaune wordlessly walked with his team. His own mind, of course, was more focused on capturing and returning with a live Grimm. He had discussed it with both Goodwitch and Ozpin. He did suspect, however, that bringing one on board a Bullhead wouldn't improve his already poor reputation with the other students.

It didn't matter. He would need to do it nonetheless.

It was only a few minutes into the mission that Jaune sensed it.

There was a Grimm in range.

He could feel its Ki.

That should have been a good thing. He now had a mark.

Except…

_This Ki… it's powerful._

The Grimm felt strong. Far above any other creature of its kind Jaune had encountered so far. It was also… different from the others. This Ki's flow was uniform, structured… disciplined. Almost as if it was being regulated consciously.

Jaune knew of only one other kind of organism that was capable of such a feat.

_Human beings._

But the implication of that fact…

_No. Can't jump to conclusions. Gotta take it down. NOW. _

He turned to his teammates.

"There's a Grimm close by."

Immediately, they unsheathed their weapons, prepared for combat.

"Where?" asked Pyrrha.

"Due east from here. I'll go take care of it. It'll be an opportunity to scout the area too. Continue collecting the sap."

Pyrrha was about to protest, but Jaune had already turned and started to walk away. She bit her lip. It was at times like this that he could be unfair. Using his authority as leader to make sure they didn't get in the way of whatever scheme he had in mind. She had noticed it in some of their tactics classes and simulation exercises, where he wouldn't be satisfied with just the main objective. He would add in other tasks, which didn't make any sense to her. Of course, he would still ensure the main goal was achieved, so the team was never penalized for it.

But even so, she wondered sometimes if he was even interested in being a Huntsman.

"We're not going to let him go alone, are we?" asked Nora. In recent times, more and more of her bubbly, light hearted personality was overshadowed by worry for their leader.

Pyrrha forced herself to exhale.

"He issued a direct order. Can't go against that. And… Jaune isn't a fool. He wouldn't enter a fight he knows he can't win, all by himself. We just…" She hesitated. "We just have to trust him, I guess."

Ren said nothing. He stared in the direction Jaune had gone. Already, the trees and darkness obscured him.

Meanwhile, Weiss Schnee looked around. Although her hands held a jar perfectly steady as a drilled tap extracted and poured sap into it, her eyes darted in every direction, looking for him.

_This is a waste of time. Come on, hurry up!_

She wanted to be done collecting her minimum amount and hand the jar over to Ruby so that she could go find Jaune. Her guilt and unease had reached their peak. It was at the point where she couldn't go on like this.

_I won't let it end like this. I'll find him, and apologize to him. I'll fix this._

The seconds ticked by, and her jar finished filling up. Screwing the lid shut, she handed it over to Ruby.

"Here. You can handle the rest from here. I've got something to take care of."

As she began to walk away briskly, Ruby called out to her, making her turn.

"Hey!"

"What?!"

The younger girl smiled and gave her a small thumbs up.

"Good luck. You believe in him, don't you? He needs someone like that. Go save him."

Weiss laughed mirthlessly.

"Save him from what? Have you seen him fight?"

Ruby's smile became sad.

"There's more than one kind of saving. Don't waste time here. Go."

She didn't need to be told twice.

She walked quickly, going in the direction she had last seen JNPR go. Even as she went, she kept glancing around, trying to spot him. Finally, she came across his team, just in time to see him walking away from them, deeper into the forest.

She narrowed her eyes.

_What's he doing? Why's he going deeper in by himself?_

If she wasted time asking the remaining three, she would lose sight of him. Thus, she decided to follow him, dashing quickly into the trees. Her intention was to catch up to him right away, but that was foiled when the boy jumped up onto the branches, and proceeded to travel by leaping from tree to tree. Cursing, Weiss sprinted, occasionally using her Glyphs to give herself launch pads to boost her speed. While on an open field she would probably be able to outpace him using her Glyphs to their full potential, here in the forest environs, Jaune's superior physical ability was evident. Leaping effortlessly and landing often on his toes without losing balance, flawlessly and smoothly hanging from branches and launching himself into flips, or even running vertically up tree trunks, he moved like a cross between athlete and animal, as if this was entirely natural for him.

_What sort of training did you do, Jaune?_

_Who ARE you?_

It was everything Weiss could do to keep up with him while trying to control her Semblance so that she didn't smash herself against trees. Finally, to her relief, he landed in the middle of a clearing, and stopped, rising to his full height.

Weiss herself stopped as well, breathing heavily, and fully intending to give him a piece of her mind for making her chase after him all this way.

"You have some… nerve… to make me chase after you like some kind of… animal…" she panted between words as she walked towards him. Despite her angry tone, however, inside, she was already starting to feel nervous. She was scared that he would push her away, like she had done to him. If he did, she certainly wouldn't be able to fault him for it.

But… if she wasn't even brave enough to take that chance, and risk rejection, then she was never going to fix this.

And fix this she would.

Steeling herself, she prepared to face him, as he turned around. Fully ready to see on his disdain, indifference, disgust, and even anger.

What she wasn't prepared for was dismay.

"Weiss? What are you doing here?"

He sounded genuinely surprised to find that she had followed him. Surprised, and more than a little worried. In truth, Jaune had been focusing so hard on tracking the Grimm's Aura, he had neglected to pay attention to other signatures, and thus, failed to notice Weiss.

The white clad Huntress was so relieved that the Jaune in front of her now looked, sounded and felt like the kind, open-hearted boy she had first grown fond of, and not the cold monster from that incident in the Training Hall, that she failed to properly understand why he was so worried. She mistook it for just some kind of sheepish apprehension at having been caught alone all the way out here, at most afraid of getting in trouble with Goodwitch. Perhaps he was simply trying to avoid her.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said, walking right up to him and jabbing him in the chest with her finger. "This isn't a picnic! Don't get separated from your team! What are you even-"

"You're not supposed to be here," Jaune said. "This is bad. This is really bad. Why did you follow me? Can't you just leave well enough alone?"

The words were exactly along the lines of what the young woman had expected. She thought this was him trying to distance himself from her after what she had said earlier. She had no idea, of course, that at the moment, Jaune had far more pressing concerns.

"No, I can't!" she replied. "I… I can't let things end like that! I know-" She bit her lip, and swallowed her pride, willing to do what she never did, and admit that she had been in the wrong. "I know I did something I shouldn't have. I… should have been there for you. But it's not too late. I… I'll fix this! I'll do better! So, please… _don't cut me off like this._"

The last words were uttered with such heartfelt pain, that even Jaune, in the middle of the combat situation, felt an actual twinge in his heart, and felt his shoulders drop. Weiss was looking him right in the eye, with no hesitation, a fire burning fiercely in her own. She was here, putting herself out for him.

Never before had _anyone_ other than Kenshiro done that for him, and the context of that had been different. The bond between Master and Disciple.

This was a friend. Someone his own age. An equal.

In truth, his emotions were mixed.

He would be lying if he said it hadn't hurt when she had pushed him away. He would be lying if he said the past few weeks hadn't been difficult. If this had been any other time, there were many things he might have said.

But even so.

The fact that she had gone out of her way, had had the courage to approach him despite everything, knowing that he might had turned her away, knowing that being seen in his company would make her an outcast as well…

"I'm not cutting you off, but you need to run, now! This place isn't safe!"

Weiss' eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?"

In answer, something shot out from among the trees, right at her. It moved with incredible speed, registering only as a blur in Weiss' sight, as it travelled right towards her head. Before it could strike, however, Jaune's hand deflected it. With its path diverted, it struck a tree, quivering even as it embedded itself in its trunk.

A black arrow. Its white feather blew slightly as a a breeze rushed through the forest.

"Grimm," answered Jaune, as he ran. Keeping pace next to him, Weiss drew Myrtenaster.

"Grimm don't use weapons," she said.

"This one does."

It took less than a second for the implications of that to occur to her. Even as they did, a second arrow was shot. And a third. Both flew towards the air towards their respective targets, one aimed for Weiss, the other for Jaune. Both of them managed to dodge, and took cover behind tree trunks.

The shots had been accurate. If they hadn't moved out of the way, they would both have hit.

Weiss had no time to question Jaune's statement. For the moment, regardless of whether the archer was human or Grimm, it was clear they knew what they were doing. So far, they were behaving like textbook hidden marksmen. Keeping themselves hidden, attacking without revealing themselves. In addition, the first arrow had come from one direction, the second and third from another. He was moving around too. Meaning… they hadn't truly been able to take cover from him.

Realising this, Weiss immediately crouched, and it was a good thing she did: an arrow impaled itself into the bark right behind where her head had been less than a second ago.

"They're good," snarled Weiss as she stayed low, running forward and around, approaching the direction the shot had come from at an angle. Jaune knew she was trying to flank him. A sound strategy, since she would dash from tree to tree, minimizing chances of being hit while keeping the archer in her line of sight. In order to shoot, they would have to come out from behind cover and reveal themselves. While Weiss covered one side, Jaune could increase the effectiveness of the strategy by closing in from the other, forcing it to choose one target to focus on, and slow down how often it shot.

A sound strategy, but one that would fail in this case.

Jaune could sense the attacker's Ki, and was tracking his movements, which were fast. Much faster than the average Hunter. There was no way he was going to allow himself to be flanked.

So, instead of approaching from the other side, Jaune dashed forward, towards Weiss. The Huntress herself had been out-angled. The Grimm archer had circled around, and was currently aiming at her from her left, unnoticed by her.

_There's no time._

Not enough time for Jaune to reach him and stop him from taking the shot.

He could see the Grimm. He (the creature appeared male), was definitely humanoid in shape. His body was in the shape of an athletic man, but of course, instead of exposed skin, it was covered all over in black fur, typical of many of its kind. A white bone mask hid its face, and its bow was simply an extension of its body, formed of organic growths that extended from its left arm. The same was true of the arrows, which were revealed to be free feathers from the folded wings on its back.

The drawn arrow was aimed right at Weiss, and Jaune already knew he was accurate.

_You won't hurt her._

Sprinting forward, Jaune actually covered the twenty or so metres between himself and Weiss before the arrow could travel a similar distance, managing to interject himself… right in its path. Extending a hand, he casually parried the arrow, intending to divert it safely.  
It would have worked on any arrow… except one such as this.

The moment his hand made contact with its shaft, it burst, throwing a shower of black dust into the air… some of which Jaune accidentally inhaled.

_Not good…_

Before he could do anything further, he felt his consciousness start to fade away.

"Jaune!"

As he struggled to stay conscious, he dropped to one knee. Weiss came forward, trying to hold him upright.

"Hey! Don't you dare pass out now!"

Even as she spoke, she realized it was likely pointless. There were a variety of Grimm with toxins, and most of them acted quickly and effectively on humans, since they existed specifically for that purpose.

"Nnghh… get out of here….", said Jaune, barely able to get the words out.

Weiss let go of him. For the moment, the priority was to kill the Grimm, and do it quickly, so that she could get Jaune medical attention. However, the few seconds she had spent trying to keep him conscious had already allowed the humanoid Grimm to change positions again. Now at Weiss' back, he shot yet another arrow. The only warning Weiss got was the whistling of air behind her, before she felt it slam against her Aura, nearly knocking her down. The arrow shattered on impact, and once more broke into bits of dust, which, as she struggled to keep her balance, she wasn't able to avoid breathing.

Almost immediately, she felt her eyes closing, felt herself getting drowsy.

"This… isn't a good way to die…"

Her eyes closed, and she collapsed on the forest floor, next to Jaune.

When she came to, she got to her feet quickly.

_I'm… still alive? _

Looking around, she found she could barely see. It was dark. Had night fallen already? In the distance, she could see a light. Since it was the only thing in sight and the only way to gauge distance, she began to walk towards it.

As she approached it, she was able to make out the source of the light.

It was a village, on fire.

Weiss' eyes widened. Gripping her weapon, she rushed in, entering the village. Summoning Ice Glyphs, she began to put out the flames, shouting all the while for the people to calm down. At this rate, they would draw Grimm here in no time.

It was pointless, terror had already consumed them.

They were scrambling over each other, trying to escape.

In the distance, she saw the lone familiar figure in this nightmare space.

But… he looked different. This Jaune was younger, and he didn't have the scar running across his left eye.

It took a moment before Weiss realized why that was. Suddenly, it made sense why none of the villagers seemed to be able to hear her.

She was inside a memory.

_Jaune watched the villagers around him. Running around. Desperate, they cried out for family and friends as they ran. In their mad haste, they knocked each other over. In times of life or death, survival instincts took over, and the ugliest parts of people were revealed. Everyone wanted to get somehow escape the horrors that had gathered outside their home._

_The young Shinken was frozen in place, unable to move. He didn't know._

_He didn't _know _what to do._

_If Kenshiro were here, his ever-stoic, calm, all-knowing presence would provide all the answers._

_But he was not._

_The man who had been more of a father to him than his own blood parent, wasn't here._

_And more than ever before, Jaune was alone._

I don't understand.

There's too many of them. They won't listen to a word I say.

_He was running out of time, while the maddened crowd rushed to their own demise. Their fear and panic drew the hordes of Grimm outside closer to the village. It would be impossible to evacuate them all. And even if he managed to somehow gather all the people in one place, he would not be able to protect them all._

I've failed.

I'm not worthy of Successor.

_Jaune's resolve had not faltered when he had trained alone at the Arc home._

_It had not faltered when he had set out with his master._

_It had not faltered during the gruelling training of the Hokuto Shinken way._

_But now, alone, without Kenshiro, for the first time in four years, he doubted himself._

_His hands shook._

_Not because he was afraid of dying. He had long accepted that death hovered over him. But the thought of being unable to bear the duty Kenshiro had trusted him with… that fear consumed him. What if he failed? What if everyone here died? A man with strength who fails to protect the weak… has no saving grace._

_As he panicked, his own negative emotions were added to the swirling vortex of others', making the collection of despair ever more enticing for the Grimm, who even now, drew closer._

All the while, Weiss watched. She had always wondered about Jaune's past. Now she was seeing it right in front of her. She looked on, horrified, unable to do anything to help.__

_In the midst of his agony, he was broken out of his thoughts by a presence at his feet. Someone had tripped and fallen, right in front of him. Unaware of what exactly he was doing, he bent down to help them up._

_It was a little girl. A tiny wisp of a girl, less than ten years of age. This village was right at the outskirts of civilization. Little grew in its farms, and it received little in the way of trade. Most lived in borderline poverty, and this young one was no exception. Nearly starved, her thin frame looked weak enough that a powerful breeze might blow her away. Her skin was dry, her blonde hair dirty, and her face streaked with tears._

_As he pulled her to her feet, she grabbed desperately onto his arm._

_Jaune was paralysed by that touch, and even more by the bright blue eyes that locked onto his own, shining like stars in the darkness of the night around him._

"_Hey, mister. You're strong, aren't you? Then, please… you have to help… Please. Please help. My parents… they're trapped. You have to save them. Please…_

Weiss covered her mouth. Not like this. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Perhaps it was the way the illusion was designed, but she could physically feel the terror and despair of all those people, pushing her down. __

_She pointed to a collapsed house. The wooden structure had fallen in ruins. It was hard to believe anyone trapped inside was still alive. Even if they were… they would be in no shape to survive this chaos._

_But Jaune found himself getting to his feet._

_Even before he knew what he was doing, he ran over to the ruins. Under the fallen logs, he could sense two living Ki signatures. They were still alive. Grabbing the bottom-most, largest logs, he lifted them, revealing what lay beneath._

_His eyes widened, and he gave a silent prayer of thanks to whatever God was above._

_Somehow, there was an open space. The support beams had protected the couple, who were holding onto each other tightly. Bleeding and hurt, but still, definitely alive._

"_Mom! Dad!" The girl screamed._

"_Stay back!" Jaune shouted. To the parents, he cried out. "You have to move. Now! This thing can collapse any moment!"_

_They didn't need to be told twice. Scrambling to their feet, they ran, and managed to get clear. Jaune dropped the remains of what had been their house. They stared in dismay at what was once their life, holding their daughter close. Once more, Jaune was reminded how incredibly fragile life was. How easily everything could be lost. How easily a bright spark, a living being, could be snuffed out._

This is all they have. Lost so easily… how is this fair? There's no justice here. Where are the Huntsmen? What sort of world is this, where the innocent must suffer?

_And in that moment, one of the last things Kenshiro had said to him resonated in his very being._

"He who stands by in the presence of evil, nurtures it. The Shinken is the living God of War. And it his sworn duty to protect life."

_He couldn't believe how pathetic he'd been mere seconds ago._

I feared living in shame?

What the hell does it matter? My shame doesn't matter. There are lives at stake, worth so much more than my peace of mind. And if I can help in any way… __

_Taking his fingers, he concentrated his Aura into them, and drove them into his own chest, marking himself with the pattern of the Big Dipper, the seven starred sign of the Hokuto Shinken, as Kenshiro had been._

_This was the precise moment Weiss saw the events that made Jaune who he was. The moment he saw him making the choice to be the warrior she had met._

I swear it. As long as I draw breath, the innocent will _not_ suffer.

_**I swear it.**_

_In response, the immense Aura of the Arc bloodline, only a fraction of which he had been able to draw on before, was unleashed in full, channelled into the body strengthened by the Shinken art._

_A glowing light, almost a flame, burned bright around his body as he stood tall. Within moments, its power engulfed the entire village, growing stronger with each passing second. Brighter and brighter it blazed, until a pillar of light ascended upwards, reaching to the heavens themselves._

_The sheer power of it went beyond the ability to sense Aura through training. This was a force of nature, akin to an earthquake or a tidal wave. There was not a human soul in the village who did not sense it. Somehow, that immense power made them feel safe, and the desperate scramble stopped, as they stared at the one emitting it._

_It was a beacon of hope to those struggling to survive, and a warning to those who would trample them._

_The Grimm shrank away, terrified. Every fibre of their beings feared that light. The mere sight of it burned like fire._

Up above, in the skies, seven stars shone clearly, standing out in the pitch black canvas of the heavens.

A new Godfist had emerged on Remnant.

"AAAAARRRGH!"

Weiss awoke with a grunt of pain. Sweating wildly, she saw the Grimm archer standing with his hand outstretched inches from her face. But something had stopped him from continuing with what he was about to do.

Turning around, Weiss saw what it was.

Jaune was on his feet again.

_He broke through the illusion with blunt mental force? _

The Grimm hung back. Never before had its toxin and psychic manipulation failed in this way. Uncertain now, it reverted to its previous strategy, shooting arrows, trying to incapacitate them physically.

But both Jaune and Weiss were awake now, and effortlessly cut down whatever projectiles came towards them.

"I see now… you seal each of us in an illusion formed from memory. But… to make sure we can't break out, you place us in each other's memory."

Weiss' eyes widened.

So that was why she was in Jaune's memory. But that would mean… all this time… Jaune had been in one of hers.

"The trick is simple, isn't it? The key to breaking out is faith. The memory ends when the person who originally lived those events is able to finish them. Of course, whether or not they can do so doesn't depend on them, since they aren't real. It depends… on the image the trapped person has of them. In other words, if I didn't believe in Weiss, or she didn't believe in me, we'd be trapped there forever. A fine tactic, more evolved than I expected. Using humans' lack of faith in each other as a weapon."

Weiss realized that the events she saw… hadn't really ended the way she had witnessed. In the illusion, Jaune was able to save everyone… because that was how much she believed in him.

With a twinge of pain, she realized that if this was the painful memory the Grimm had chosen, then the true outcome had likely been much darker.

_I see now. I can understand you… just a little bit._

It was only a little. But it was still a start.

"I've learnt enough from you. This is your ending."

Jaune dashed forward.

"_Hokuto Hundred Crack Fist!"_

Countless blows were delivered, with enough speed that Weiss could barely make out a fraction of them all. The entire sequence took around a second, and Jaune finished by driving his finger right through the Grimm's bone mask.

Vibrations ran through the monster's body, and it exploded, showering the forest in gore, which disintegrated quickly as all Grimm remains do.

Jaune exhaled.

"Well, that's it for now, I suppose."

Turning around, he looked at Weiss.

"You okay?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she stared into his eyes. The more she learnt about him, the more she wanted to know. But at the very least, she was glad to know that he wasn't some kind of murderer.

"Who are you, Jaune Souther?"


	8. Like a Dragon

**Author's note: The conclusion of the Loner Arc, at least for now. I got a bunch of great suggestions on the reviews for the last chapter, and it just tells me people have expectations from this story. Well, I'll try my best. ;)**

**Chapter 7: Like a Dragon **

The Bullheads landed in Beacon's airfield, and students began to disembark from them. Weiss Schnee was among them. Getting off the ramp, she took a moment to relish the feeling of the fresh air as a light wind blew. The sun was setting, bathing the field in orange, as the horizon reddened. It had been so long since she'd actually, properly looked at a sunset, she found herself staring at the sight, nearly entranced. As she continued to look, her eyes fell on a blond youth who got off another aircraft. She felt a slight twinge of something she couldn't name in her heart.

Jaune was stoic as usual, and as expected, not accompanied by his team. He too looked at the sky for a second as he stretched. After the encounter with the Archer Grimm, the two had returned to their teams, but separately.

Weiss' attempt to restore her bond had failed. Not even the shared experience of defeating an enemy who could invade their minds had been enough. Despite his earlier statement that he wouldn't be cutting her off, after the battle, he might as well have been a stranger. He asked if she was all right, with concern even, but this was the concern of fellow human being, or a comrade. Not a friend. It spoke volumes about how much the past few weeks had changed him. Where had barely been able to speak without stuttering around her earlier, he was now casually able to lie to her. His earlier reassurance had simply been to get Weiss' mind focused on the immediate danger.

The boy who had been kind to her, had been her first real friend in this place, was gone entirely. It hadn't been the Cardin incident that had done it. The more she thought about it, the more she realized while he had gone a little overboard, they were all reading more into it than there was. No, it was the fact that everyone he had considered close to him had all done nothing to help him when almost the entire school was against him.

_He didn't know how to lie before. We taught him that_, she thought.

"_You should return to your team. They'll be worried about you."_

"_And what about your team?"_

Jaune had taken a moment to reply to that. Weiss had realized that this was because the past few weeks had made it abundantly clear to him that his team _didn't_ have his back. He hadn't been able to rely on them, or anyone else. With a sudden pain, she was struck once more by the _wrongness_ of it all.

"_They have their orders. I'll return in a while. Your path should be safe. I don't sense any more Grimm in the area."_

"_Why? Why do you do this to yourself?"_

He hadn't answered the question. Ignoring it entirely, he repeated what he had said earlier.

"_Go back, Weiss."_

In that moment, he looked so entirely distant.

Tearing her thoughts away from the memory, she turned her head. Even looking at him hurt now.

_I lost completely._

Ruby saw how troubled her partner was, and also saw the reason why. This situation was getting out of hand.

She would need to deal with it soon.

Cardin walked out of the shower, towelling his hair dry as he put on his dorm wear. The rest of the team had decided to hit the town and stock up on some grub. While he liked having them around (it was a perpetual party), he was sort of relieved to have some time to himself. Throwing himself onto his bed, he grabbed his Scroll and started up a new game he had started playing recently, _Tekken_.

Shortly into his first match, he heard someone knock on the door, and decided to ignore it. None of his teammates would have knocked, meaning this was someone else, and he wasn't in the mood for anyone.

A second series of knocks came, this time harder and more insistent. Annoyed, he decided to get up and answer, because it didn't look like whoever was there was about to leave on their own.

He made it to the door just a third series of knocks was beginning, swinging the door open forcefully.

"The hell do you-"

The words stopped dead in his mouth when he saw who it was.

There were three visitors, the middle of whom smiled, thin lips curling upwards in amusement.

"Hmm? You had a question, Cardin?"

The boy looked down, afraid to answer.

"Seems not," said the visitor. "How about you let us in? We've come all the way here. Could at least get us a snack or something."

Wordlessly, he moved aside, letting them enter, all the while dreading their presence.

The three of walked in, looking this way and that, and picking up and examining several of the team's personal belongings before finally settling down on their beds. Cardin said nothing. These three were third years, and connected.

"So, Cardin. Let's talk a little, man. You've been lying a little low the past few weeks, haven't you? What's up with that?"

The brown-haired boy grimaced, but had to answer. Ignoring a direct question was a bad idea.

"I… ran into some problems…"

"So we've heard. And by problems, you mean that blond kickboxer dude. Guy fucking whooped your ass!"

The trio laughed, clearly enjoying his discomfort.

"Made you his bitch, he did. Say, are you calling him daddy at night?"

Once more, the three of them laughed, even louder now.

Cardin clenched his teeth, powerless to do anything. Not only was every single one of them far above him in terms of combat ability, they outnumbered him. Even if, by some miracle, he could touch them, he'd be dead before the week was out. These were high up with the extremist human groups. Once more, he regretted the decisions he'd taken when he was younger.

At first, it had been casual involvement. The community Cardin lived in had been… segregated, to say the least. Faunus stuck together with their own kind, while humans did the same. The situation was tense, and both sides were extremely cautious about their behaviour, lest violence break out. Conflicts still occurred, of course. As years passed by, the younger generations forgot the origins of the feud. All they cared about was the feud itself, hate for the opposing side ingrained into them by conditioning.

In contrast to the previous, conservative generations, the new ones were heavily in favour of a more active approach, and several youth gangs sprung up on both sides. Cardin had grown up seeing the anti-Faunus gangs in his neighbourhood live like kings. Opposing them meant you were beaten down as a race traitor, or, in the worst case, killed. Joining up with them meant being able to flaunt their influence and power.

It reached the point where even parents began to say that a strong son ought to "join the struggle".

So, Cardin had gotten involved with them.

As years passed by, he'd been disillusioned greatly. There was no pride or honour among the gang. It was just another way of amassing power and riches, and the smartest and most ruthless ruled. He himself was just a grunt in the ladder, and always would be. Heck, he even found himself questioning his hatred for the Faunus.

He'd met as many Faunus with real guts as he'd met human scumbags.

But sin builds on sin.

By the time Cardin got to Beacon, he had all but accepted that he would never be able to change his ways. Even if he did, no Faunus would ever forgive him. And besides, he couldn't forgive them for what they'd done to so many humans.

So, hating himself, and hating everyone else, he continued, a halfway thug lacking genuine cruelty, or the courage to do what he knew was right, and thus, always stuck in the middle.

"Hey, you listening? Don't get carried away."

Cardin forced himself to listen to the hated voice.

"You screwed up royally. But maybe it was actually an opportunity. You see, that little White Knight now has the entire school on his ass. And it was all over that Faunus he was standing up for. We play our cards right, we can not only take him out, we can stick the blame for everything he did on those damned animals. Two birds, one stone."

"What do you, Cardin? Help us out or what?"

It wasn't a question, of course.

**RWBY Dorm: **

"Weiss. Are you going to even tell us what happened?"

The heiress candidate closed the book she had been trying, and failing, to study.

"Don't you all feel even a little guilty?"

Her teammates turned to look at her, surprised at the outburst.

"That. That's exactly what I'm talking about. You act like you don't know what I'm talking about. He lives next door, for crying out loud!"

None of them were able to reply, struck by the vehemence and directness of her words.

"You know this isn't right. Don't act like this isn't our problem. He's our friend. You don't just eat with someone one day and then stand by and do nothing while he's getting ostracized the next. It doesn't work that way!"

She got up and started to pace frantically.

"I… let it come this far. I should have helped him out right from the start. Stopped these rumours from even spreading. Yeah, he beat Cardin up, destroyed his weapon. They're calling him the bully? Do people even remember why the fight happened in the first place?"

"People remember, Weiss," Ruby began uncertainly. "I'm not saying he was wrong. It's just… the _way _he did it freaked everyone out. He was scary."

"You don't know the life he's lived," Weiss snapped. "He's… from a different world than us. I'm sure this was normal to him. Lenient, even."

"What sort of life has he lived, then?" Yang asked, eyebrows raised.

Weiss was about to respond, when she clamped her own mouth shut.

_No._

She had seen those memories because of the Archer Grimm's psychic manipulation. Jaune had never intended for her to know about his past. He certainly hadn't intended anyone else here to know. It wasn't her secret to tell, and she wasn't going to betray him a second time.

"Ask him yourself," she replied. "All I can say is, this isn't right. What, you're telling me none of us have gone too far in a fight in our lives?"

Blake said nothing. Deep inside, she knew of course _exactly_ how that felt. She had spent most of her life going too far in a fight. And then, she had run away.

Run away from the White Fang, and her past.

Now, she was running away from Jaune.

Even though he had fought to stand up for a fellow Faunus, she hadn't been able to support him. Afraid that being associated to him might do more harm for the community? Maybe. But mostly just because she was afraid her own past might come to light. That somehow, getting involved might make things even worse for her.

"It's not like we can do anything to help now. It's already too late. They're dead set on seeing him like some kind of villain," she said.

To that, Weiss had no answer.

How were they supposed to change everyone's opinion?

And… even if they did, how were things supposed to go back to normal between them. Could such a thing ever happen?

**Later that night:**

As usual, Jaune grabbed his food and began to make his way towards one of the unoccupied tables to eat alone. He ignored the whisperings and glances, having gotten used to them. As he began to eat, however, they began to grow in volume, and he realized something was different this time.

Looking towards the front of the hall, he saw Cardin standing there, along with some third years he knew by face but not name.

Everyone appeared to be looking at them, murmuring to each other about what they might have to say. One of the third years grabbed an input wire connected to the Dining Hall's sole screen, which mostly telecast announcements and a few sports channels, and plugged it into his scroll. A moment later, a rather poorly recorded, pixelated video began to play on the screen, in clear view of everyone in the Hall.

Jaune nearly face-palmed.

_Well, this might be problematic._

The video showed a blond male around Jaune's size, beating up a brown haired boy who might have been Cardin. The video was recorded so poorly, it was hard to tell, but given the context, it wasn't hard to guess what everyone's assumption would be. Jaune, of course, knew the video was a fake.

But he was one of the few who did. Within moments, an uproar broke out in the Hall, as everyone began shouting. Several people even threw food towards Jaune, who casually raised an empty chair to shield himself.

"Well, there you see it," said one of the third year trio. "This is starting to be a problem. This guy comes here to Beacon and thinks he can just push our buddy here around! Go on, Cardin, tell everyone what's been happening. Tell them the truth!"

Seeing Cardin, whose fists were clenched, shoulders hunched, and eyes facing the ground, Jaune immediately knew this was not a situation he wanted to be in. He had been forced into it by these so-called "friends" of his. Not surprising. Bullies work in chains. Above each thug, is a bigger thug, who drives him with fear.

_This is a shame. I had hoped my actions would get you out of this life._

A failed thug was no thug at all, and Jaune had hoped his beatdown would deter Cardin from doing the same thing again. He had not considered the possibility that whoever was higher up on the chain than him would simply take it as an opportunity to use him even more.

Seeing Cardin up there, he knew for certain that if he did as that third year asked, and testified to support the fake video, his life was as good as over. He would remain a puppet and a slave for life. For the first time, he regretted his actions against the boy. While Cardin had been in the wrong, and Jaune had wanted to make him pay for what he had done, he hadn't wanted to destroy his life completely. Only discipline him.

_Protect the innocent._

Cardin wasn't innocent.

But then, was there anyone in the world who was truly innocent? Jaune didn't know.

If he were to waste time considering that question in detail, he would have failed entirely at his task. But, in the here and now, he knew what was happening was wrong. And so, he rose up to intervene.

_So be it. If I'm already a villain, I'll simply have three more victims. I'll free you from this shit life, Winchester._

He began to walk towards the group, fully intending to take the blame before Cardin could say anything, and then proceed to beat the three seniors as close to death as Beacon rules would allow.

As he approached, Cardin's eyes met his own. It only lasted a few seconds at most, but so many thoughts were exchanged in that single glance, it felt to them both like it had lasted an eternity.

Cardin saw the boy who had humiliated him completely coming forward. If he had wanted to beat him up again, he wouldn't have been able to fault him for it. But, as he looked into his eyes, he couldn't see any anger in them towards himself. Once more, he was ashamed of himself.

If he was coming up here now, it meant he wasn't backing down from the fight, even against three seniors and an entire school. The monumental courage that took blew Cardin away, and for an instant, he saw a glimpse of what it must be: a life lived on one's own terms, without fear or remorse. A life where one lives true to one's principles.

And, in that same instant, he saw the choice before him. To be silent now, and live the rest of his life as a coward… or to reach out, and grab that vision.

He began to laugh. Softly at first, but growing louder. The three seniors looked at him, perplexed by his strange behaviour. As his laughter grew yet louder, everyone in the Hall grew silent. They stared at him as he threw his head back, thinking he'd gone mad.

Even as he laughed, tears streamed down one eye, because he knew his life was as good as over.

"All y'all… are fucking pathetic."

If a thunderbolt had hit the Hall at the time, it couldn't have stunned the people gathered there more.

The three anti-Faunus thugs stared at him with eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

"It's crazy," continued Cardin, speaking on, unable to stop now. "There's like a hundred people in this room, and a grand total of only one pair of balls, and they're hanging between his legs." He pointed at Jaune, who was, for the first time since his arrival at Beacon, truly at a loss for words.

"Like where's the stones? Where are your spines? Where's mine? Did we all leave them behind before we came here? Resorting to fake videos and shit?"

He continued, pointing to the people gathered around them.

"You all saw what I did. Yeah, I messed with that Faunus. I knew what I was doing. None y'all came forward to stop me. He did. Whooped my ass fair and square. And then, you have the audacity to blame _him _for it? Make it out like he's kind of thug? DON'T INSULT ME!"

He shouted the last bit, and almost everyone recoiled slightly.

"I fought him fair and square and I lost. Yeah, I'm a bastard. But where I come from, that means something. A fight means something. Heck, it's the only sacred thing in the world back in my home. Power."

He clenched his fist.

"I thought I had it. Thought I was real baller. So I did whatever I wanted. Got away with it, too. You didn't do a thing to stop it. Think I didn't know how fucked up this stuff is? Humans messing with Faunus. Pissed off Faunus joining the White Fang and messing with humans. It goes on and on and on. Never ends. I thought it'd never change. And yeah, a little bitch like me couldn't change it. But I'm glad I came here. Yeah, before they shoot me dead in my bed someday for saying all this, I'm glad I saw at least one man who stands up for what he believes in…"

Cardin smiled.

"... and has the strength to fight for it."

Turning to the ones who had held his leash for so long, he raised a middle finger at them.

"Now, I'm ready. Warren Wallows, James Redarm, Lowell Lenny. You all heard it here first. They're all part of the Anti-Faunus Group."

The three seniors nearly frothed at the mouth from anger. They had been exposed.

"You little punk!"

One of them stepped forward and shoved Cardin back, hard. Before he could hit the ground, however, he felt a strong hand supporting his back. That same hand clapped him on the shoulder as Jaune stepped past him.

Had the blond always been this tall?

"I misjudged you. My humble apologies, Cardin. You deserve to be here as much as anyone."

Turning his head to look at him, he nodded slightly.

"Also, my thanks."

"Huh? What for?"

"It's not everyday I see a koi fish become a dragon."

He turned back towards the three thugs.

"Now hang back a while. I have some trash to take out."

The leader of the trio laughed, though his eyes look fit to burst, and a vein pulsed on his temple.

"Oh, is that so? We're trash, is it? I'll show you who's trash!"

He rushed forward, in full body armour, his battle gear. Jaune himself was clad in his shorts and a t-shirt, his dorm wear.

The older boy swung a left hook at Jaune, who blocked the arm by raising his own right, and countered almost simultaneously by driving his other fist right into his solar plexus, the same gut punch he had used against Cardin.

Only this time, the power behind the blow caved in the armour completely, not only driving the breath out of him, but getting stuck in a dented position so tight, he could breathe even a little, while his stomach was forced into a pulled back state, torso nearly completely emptied of air.

He didn't even have time to collapse to the ground normally. Jaune swept low, removing his feet from under him. For a split second, he seemed suspended in a lying down position in the air. Before he could fall, Jaune continued raising the same leg he had used, forming a crescent moon arc, before bringing it down right on his face.

The hammer stomp kick landed with an impact that drove the bully's face clean _into_ the stone floor of the Hall, leaving the marble cracked for several feet.

"WAATAAAA!"

Jaune uttered a power yell in a higher pitched voice, unnerving everyone in the vicinity.

Cardin gulped.

_Insane. He was actually taking it easy on me to that extent? _

The Shinkin didn't let up. Instead of waiting for the remaining two to attack, he dashed forward, catching one of them with a classic jab in the face, stunning him momentarily, and buying himself a window of time.

He used said window to shoot in low, getting behind the one remaining thug, and wrapping his arms around his waist while getting his hips below him. Popping them upwards explosively, he lifted him off the ground, turning in mid air, and slamming him, completing the suplex.

The boy's Aura shimmered for a moment before giving out completely. The impact had cratered the Dining Hall, a depression a metre in diameter having been formed in the ground.

_Less than ten seconds._

To say everyone was stunned would be an understatement.

A freshman had just destroyed three-fourths of a third year team in less than ten seconds, though they were in combat armour.

Jaune took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Well, some exercise now and then is a good idea."

He looked around at the people who were still staring at him.

"_M-monster…" _someone whispered, and soon, others were saying similar things.

Jaune didn't reply. The moment he started responding to this, he would be distracted from his purpose.

"Tch… even now, goddamn losers…" muttered Cardin.

Jaune shook his head.

"Nah. They're all right. Violence isn't fun. I'd say I _am_ some sort of monster. But… the world needs me. A monster to fight other monsters."

Cardin looked at him incredulously.

"You're _okay_ with this? After everything you've done? It doesn't make any sense… you're some kind of hero! They should be thanking you… I should be thanking you…"

Jaune grinned.

"Now that's just disturbing. But you're welcome, I guess. Why don't you make it worth something by doing some good with your life now?"

Cardin nodded.

"That's a given, but… are you really going to let it end like this?"

"No he isn't," a third voice cut in.

Weiss Schnee had pushed her way through the crowd, to stand next to Jaune.

And for the second time, Jaune found himself at a loss for words.

It wasn't just Weiss. All of RWBY was making its way towards him.

And so was the rest of JNPR.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Jaune muttered. "This isn't part of the plan!"

"You have a plan?" asked another familiar voice.

Jaune turned to see his team, who had taken their place around him as well. He looked at Ren, the one who had spoken. Next to him, Pyrrha had a hint of a tear in her eye, but he couldn't be sure. Nora was smiling fiercely.

"Don't you see…" said Jaune. "You're screwing up everything I worked for all these weeks… these incidents will keep happening. And if you're around me, you'll be dragged into them too."

"We came here prepared to die. Your words, not ours, Blondey," said Yang. "You really think we scare that easily?"

He looked incredulously at them all.

All the doubt that had plagued those faces was gone. There was no more hesitation.

"Are… you sure about this?" he managed to croak out.

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life. From now on, JNPR sticks together", said Pyrrha.

Someone leaned close to him, and he heard Weiss whisper in his ear.

"You tried so hard to push us away, because you were afraid we'd be hurt. You're looking down on me, Jaune, and I can't have that. So from now…"

A hand closed firmly around his own.

"_... No matter the difficulty, no matter the battle, let me fight by your side."_


	9. Honesty

**Author's Note: A lot of people were pretty unhappy with the reconciliation scene in the previous chapter. Going back over it, I think there were things that I could have handled better. There were some implied behind-the-scenes events that I probably should have added to make that part more coherent and logically in tune with the rest of the events of the story.**

**This chapter aims to correct some of those mistakes while moving the plot forward. Please note that I never intended to show that all was forgotten and buried between Jaune and the others! I think a fundamental fact that I perhaps haven't been able to portray effectively is how much of a stoic Jaune is. Having travelled with Kenshiro, he holds himself to incredibly high standards, and thus, is often willing to forgive people for non-malicious mistakes, even when they are against him. The reason he isn't bitter against RWBY or NPR is because he never expected them to last long in his life. The exception, of course, is Weiss, who, by the way, does not have some kind of free pass to his heart. As you'll see throughout this fic, Jaune has plenty of self-respect, and is definitely not "easy".**

**Chapter 8: Honesty**

Teenage relationships can be a funny thing. Perhaps it's because all sorts of hormones are at an all-time high. Or perhaps because it's exactly halfway between being a child and an adult. Between being naive and jaded. Just enough hope to have expectations, and just enough heart to be disappointed when they aren't met. And so, people learn to live in a state not of trust. A state of compromise, but always hoping that that the relationships they've lied and struggled to hold on to will stand the test of time.

It seems like such a pointless thing to do.

There are of course, those who know, even from a young age, how futile it is.

And as the same people who struggle to hold on to those relationships grow older, they realize how meaningless they were in the first place, forgetting one very important thing.

_Even if they were temporary, they had meaning._

Jaune was strange that way.

He hadn't really had the sort of sheltered teenage that allowed for such things. It had mostly been travelling from one battlefield to the next. And the thing about blood and death, is that they very quickly reveal a lot about people. The only thing that matters in the end, is one's survival. So Jaune had learnt early, that only those who stand with you in times of need, can truly be called friends.

At Beacon, he had come close to forgetting that lesson. For a moment, been caught in the excitement, and the relief, of feeling like he had found a place where he belonged.

The Cardin incident had quickly reminded him, though.

And so, he was wary.

Currently, he was on his way to Ozpin's office, having been summoned there after the scene in the Dining Hall. He wasn't alone, of course. The rest of JNPR, and RWBY, had all been called as well. He wasn't particularly worried about the meeting. Instead, he carefully observed the people around him.

He had never really expected any of these people to be in his life for long.

In fact, he'd been almost certain that one way or another, their association would be temporary.

No, he hadn't been hurt by expectation.

He'd been hurt because he _wanted_ them to have been people he could have in his life.

He genuinely had enjoyed spending time with them, and still believed they were good people.

But he knew for sure now, that he could not expect them to walk next to him on the path he had to take.

He'd been able to accept that they had chosen to stay away from him after the rumours had spread about him. He could also accept that they hadn't been able to understand the reasons behind his actions with Cardin. Despite it hurting, he reminded himself that they were from a different life, and that in any case, having overly high expectations was a sure way to get disappointed.

Even now that they had returned to support him in front of the school, he could tell that they were still uncertain. He could make out how they were feeling from their body language, and their past interactions with him. It was all just hypotheses, but he was fairly sure he was right.

Starting with his own team, Pyrrha felt guilty. It was clear she regretted her actions, and wanted to make up for them. Her heart was in the right place, but she probably felt that the relationship between them could never truly be repaired, judging by the way she was avoiding eye contact with him now after her initial words at the Hall.

Ren and Nora were similar, but Jaune sensed they were both still cautious around him, and their choice to stand by him now might have a lot to do with their desire to keep the team intact, and, to a lesser extent, support Pyrrha.

Yang was probably the most indifferent out of all them, and also the most guarded, and Jaune had a feeling she had tagged along mainly because of the others.

Blake's case seemed the odd. The way she was there, but seemed to be avoiding any sort of interaction with him at all, all but confirmed that she didn't really want to be doing this. If anything, it almost felt like she was here as some kind of obligation. He wondered if that had anything to do with the fact that she was a Faunus. The original incident had taken place when Jaune was defending that rabbit Faunus, so maybe she felt some kind of strange debt was owed to him.

Ruby was… curious. She had always seemed to be the one least put off by Jaune's actions. While she had been intimated, she also seemed to want to know more about him. It seemed very much a part of her nature: she just didn't seem the type to believe anything bad about someone unless given absolute proof. She was probably here more to confirm her thoughts about Jaune than anything.

They were an odd bunch for sure, and their intentions were perfectly normal, and innocent enough.

But he couldn't by any stretch of the imagination call them friends.

Those weeks had been a reminder and a wake up call to not delude himself.

Still, he had to question why a group of people with motivations this weak would turn up at all. Instinctively, his head turned towards the person walking next to him.

_Weiss Schnee. You did this, didn't you?_

Out of all of them, she had been the only one to approach him freely by herself, during the Forever Fall mission, and apologize. He hadn't been able to spot any insincerity in her then, and he couldn't sense any now.

In the forest, something about her words and eyes had made Jaune waver for a while, and even agree to not cutting her off. After the fight with the Archer Grimm, he had tried to push her away again, being all but certain that in time, she would leave anyway. If that were the case, it would be far better for her to stay away from the start, and avoid the danger that followed him everywhere.

But she had taken that expectation, and smashed it to bits.

She was here again, and had somehow managed to convince the rest of her team, and Jaune's to come along.

To his intense surprise, Jaune felt a lot like he did during his first few weeks with her constantly teasing him.

_He had no idea what she was thinking_.

And that bothered him.

He hadn't been able to manage anything more than a flustered response when she'd come to his aid in the Hall. And that bothered him.

_Weiss Schnee… what are your intentions?_

Before long, they were standing in Ozpin's office.

Once more, Jaune was face to face with the headmaster.

Goodwitch was in the room too, though she hadn't been last time. And of course, the other members of RWBY and JNPR were there. It occurred to Jaune that perhaps Ozpin would not want to discuss their arrangement in front of these others. After all, despite Goodwitch's position, she had not been present when that deal had been made.

He carefully studied Ozpin's expression.

Logically speaking, Jaune was well aware that he was a chaotic presence at Beacon. He went against the established order in the place, and wasn't afraid to take on anyone there if he felt it was needed. Ozpin knew this, yet, he had allowed him to stay, and even asked him to perform his duty as Shinken.

That duty involved keeping the innocent safe from evil. Certainly, Jaune had done exactly that, and he did not think the headmaster would mind much that he had beaten down Anti-Faunus trash to get the job done.

As he exchanged a glance with Ozpin, he immediately knew that his hunch was right. Ozpin's reaction was minimal, but it was almost as if he shook his head and gave a wry smile.

In other words, this whole thing was about to be an act, played out for those who were unaware of the agreement.

"Well, Mr. Souther. I had hoped our next meeting would be under better circumstances."

Translation: you're interrupting my coffee break.

"It is indeed regrettable. Maintenance will be performed more smoothly next time."

Translation: I'll make sure not to make a scene when I meet more troublemakers.

"Unfortunately, given how much trouble you're causing the school, it remains to be seen if you will be staying to perform maintenance."

Meaning: I appreciate you taking care of the bullying problem, but if you keep getting into fights, I'll be under pressure to expel you.

Jaune was about to roll his eyes and continue with this little game of quips (which he was quite enjoying), when another voice was heard.

"He was just trying to defend someone else. Both times. Velvet Scarlatina the first time, Cardin Winchester the second. It appears the latter was forced into bullying by the three third year students, who are members of the Anti-Faunus Group."

Ozpin looked momentarily surprised at hearing this explanation from Weiss Schnee. Jaune was quite sure he already knew all of this. There were cameras in the Dining Hall, and he must have seen what had happened. He knew he wasn't in any trouble, and Ozpin knew, but Weiss didn't.

So she was doing her best to keep him out of it.

The headmaster blinked once, and Jaune thought he saw the hint of an amused smirk on his face.

"Is that so? Well, we will have to investigate those three then. I'm sure the police can handle that from here. Mr Souther's help is appreciated. However… it cannot be denied that his methods have been… a little volatile."

"That's an understatement," said Goodwitch. "You keep getting into fights outside class, Mr Souther. And while your actions might have been justified, it seems likely you will do so again, perhaps even when it may not be necessary. Not to mention, you went too far with your use of force this time. Damaging the Hall? Really? With your abilities, you could have subdued them far more easily. Were you _trying_ to make a show of it?"

"I thought giving everyone else a bit of a warning might be a good idea. Could help keep a lot of potential bullies in line, you know?"

"Vigilantism is _not_ tolerated at Beacon!" snapped the annoyed telekinetic Huntress.

"Well? What is to be done here, Mr Souther? We cannot have you continue to cause trouble, however good your intentions may be."

Jaune was one hundred percent aware that Ozpin was about to let him go anyway, but once more, Weiss exceeded his expectations.

"He won't do it again!"

Ozpin and Goodwitch looked at her curiously.

"And how can you say that with such certainty, Ms. Schnee?"

Weiss herself looked shocked that she had said that, and it seemed obvious the words had slipped out before she could stop herself. It seemed she had just realized she had put herself on the spot. She had risked everything to get to Beacon, and in the space of a few decisions, she had put all of it on the line for a boy she barely knew.

But it was too late for doubts.

_I won't mess this up a second time._

Hoping beyond hope that she was doing the right thing, she took a deep breath and answered.

"I trust him. We… as Hunters in training, working together is important, isn't it? We make errors, but we improve because we're all there to help each other. Cover each other's flaws and play to each other's strengths. As his classmate, I'll… make sure he doesn't do it again."

Jaune's mouth nearly opened in surprise.

That was… the single weakest guarantee of responsibility he'd ever heard. As his classmate, of all things, really?

Anybody could see that what she really meant was that she'd personally try to keep him in line. Officially speaking, there was no responsibility involved. It wasn't as if the school could expel the both of them if he alone messed up.

But even so, in spite of how embarrassing it must have been, she had said that, probably out of desperation, and for his sake.

_Why? Why'd she put herself out like that?_

Like before, in the forest, this was something Weiss was doing that Jaune had never experienced before.

She turned to look at the others, probably hoping they would add their own support.

"We are his teammates," said Pyrrha, hesitating a bit initially, but proceeding with more confidence. "Jaune is as worthy of being a Hunter as anyone I've seen. I'm certain he wouldn't harm anyone without reason. He sometimes goes too far, but that can change. We'll help him fit in."

Ren and Nora both nodded.

"It won't happen again. And… this won't be the same team without him."

Voices from RWBY offered their own support as well.

"He's not a bad guy!"

"Yeah, just a bit of a problem holding back."

_I hold back a lot though! Like seriously._

Assailed by the cacophony of voices, Ozpin sighed slightly.

"Fine. Just this once, we will speak no more of it. However, I do expect you all to keep your word, and keep Mr Souther out of trouble."

This time, Jaune did roll his eyes.

Predictably, he wasn't in any trouble.

They made their way out of the office.

_Things… will be uncomfortable now. More than before._

Yes, as long as they weren't talking, things were rather easy. Jaune continued to go about his daily life.

Now, there would be the awkwardness of knowing that there were seven people he would most likely have to spend time around, under the label of "friends", though the reality was far different.

They _had_ after all, no matter how reluctantly, come forward to help him out. And besides, they weren't bad people. Even if they were indecisive and easily swayed. Jaune felt it would be difficult to out and out ignore them, and for a moment, admired how easily Kenshiro had been able to separate himself from people he didn't want around.

It was made even more complicated because of the one person out of all of them whom he couldn't place in the same category.

The only out of them all who had actually come because she wanted to help him.

_It's pointless to think about._

He shook his head.

_The Shinken has always walked alone. If she were to grow closer to me, she'd enter a world she wouldn't like._

He came out of his reverie to find that the aforementioned people were currently staring at him, as though waiting for him to say something.

He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

For an incredibly awkward moment, no one said anything. When it got to the point where the silence was near unbearable, it was unsurprisingly Yang who decided to say something to break the ice.

"Well, guess that means the band's back together, huh?"

He looked at the eager faces around him. Eager because they wanted to know that things were back to the way they were. He couldn't sympathize with their point of view. But he could at least see where they were coming from. In a way, the desire to avoid conflict and get along was admirable.

But… it was not always a possibility.

If he were to fold now, and go along, it would only be a charade.

In a sense, no different from when he played the villain. Only this time, he would actively be doing something that was not only tedious for him, but also sent out the wrong message to them.

The Hokuto Shinken Successor was always given the freedom to do as he pleased with his life, as long as he stayed true to the Hokuto code. Despite all the responsibilities Kenshiro had accepted, he had never been burdened. He had lived a free man. Able to speak his mind and live as he saw fit.

Jaune wanted to live that way too.

And for that… he couldn't allow himself to sink into these lies.

And… he respected himself.

"Was the band ever together in the first place?" he said.

The eager expressions on those faces changed quickly to surprise.

"What do you mean, Jaune?" Pyrrha knew exactly what he was saying. But she didn't want to accept that this was finally happening.

"We know we weren't really much help recently. We're sorry," said Ruby. For a moment, Jaune was almost swayed, given the fact that she was the least malicious person he'd met at Beacon.

But it still didn't change the truth.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he said honestly. "You were all freaked out. And so you avoided me. I can't blame you for that."

"Then… we're cool, right?" Yang asked.

"Nothing has changed," Jaune said, once again, perfectly honestly.

Weiss already knew where this was going. Her observation of the boy over the past few weeks had taught her to be able to understand his mood and reactions at least a little bit.

"So… we're friends again?" asked Ruby nervously.

Jaune almost laughed a little. The girl was adorable, but she had some growing up to do.

"No. We were never. I realized we barely qualify as acquaintances."

It was so silent, one could hear a pin drop.

They stared at him with wide eyes.

He sighed.

"This doesn't bother you nearly as much as you think. If it did, none of you would have left in the first place. Honestly, this sort of thing bothers me more than not talking. I thought I was OK with it… but forcing yourselves to show up was kind of unpleasant."

He paused for a moment, seeing the shock on their faces.

"Friendship, huh? Is it really that easy? I suppose we've never talked about this, have we? I wouldn't call someone a friend that lightly. You don't need to go out of your way to be nice to me. You don't owe me anything."

"Jaune… what are you saying?" said Pyrrha. Her eyes watered slightly, and Jaune genuinely did feel bad for having to say what he was. He kept reminding himself that none of them were bad people. But it was for that very reason, he couldn't let them continue to think they had to force themselves to hang out with him.

"I'm saying you should all be real. This forced stuff is weak as hell. Why must there be politics here, too? All of you were bothered by what I did to Cardin. None of you called me out on it. None of you even asked why I did it. I wouldn't mind if you hated me. I can deal with honest hatred. I can understand if someone could never agree with my methods. But… I can't go along with this charade."

A heavy silence followed.

Pyrrha was close to tears, and neither Nora nor Ren could meet his eyes. Yang looked incredibly uncomfortable. Ruby looked like she couldn't understand why this was happening, and Blake looked ashamed.

Weiss was still unshaken, but only because she had come prepared for this exact reaction. She fully intended to continue until she got a direct answer from him.

"Then what happens now?" Ruby asked quietly.

"Isn't that upto us?" Jaune replied, causing everyone to look up. "Like I said, we barely know each other. But… that can always change."

It was an open-ended statement. But at least it meant that it wasn't all over.

He began to leave, but paused. Turning back slightly, he looked at Weiss.

"Thank you."

It did not go unnoticed by her that when he had talked about not knowing each other or being friends, she was the one person he had not looked at. What that meant, she did not know. But she aimed to find out.


	10. Reunion

**Author's Note: I'll start off by addressing** **some worries that keep coming up. Some folks have said that they haven't watched Hokuto no Ken, and have no idea about Kenshiro (Jaune's master). This is perfectly fine! Anything and everything you need to know about him, and Jaune's fighting skills, will all be explained in the fic itself. I reiterate: the only series you need to have watched to understand the story is RWBY. I'd go so far as to say that you'll be able to understand it without even that! There are certainly some allusions and appearances of elements and people from other shows, but as I've said, these will all be explained in-fic, so you don't need to have seen any of those series.**

**BTW writing convincing and likeable OCs is hard, you know? In the first place because people reading a fanfic just don't **_**want**_ **to read about OCs. However, I think, in the right role, and written the right way, they can add a lot to the story. With that being said, I think it's about time some characters made their reappearance. ******

**Chapter 9: Reunion**

"An Archer Grimm, you say?"

"Yes. Humanoid. His internal organs, nervous and circulatory systems, skeleton and musculature were identical to a human's as far as Grimm biology permits."

"This is… worrying. Grimm whose forms mimic animals and even plants are well known… but in my experience, this is the first fully humanoid one I have heard of."

"Not only his body. His skills were very much human too. Marksmanship, movement and strategy commonly seen in concealed attackers. Had precise aim, targeting vitals, and even took measures to ensure he couldn't be tracked. For all intents and purposes, I may as well have been fighting a human. And… he had a strange psychic ability. One that most Hunters will not survive."

Jaune paused, carefully regarding Ozpin with an observant eye, examining his reaction. The existence of a new, dangerous kind of Grimm was information Beacon needed to have. If they were sending Hunters into the field, they needed to be armed with as much knowledge as possible, and equipped to face the threats that lay there.

The headmaster's gaze remained strong, but Jaune could sense a hint of weariness, and even resignation in it. How long had he been fighting the Grimm? Ozpin looked young, but his words and mannerisms bespoke countless years of age and experience, making him an anomaly that even the young Shinken had a hard time deciphering. He had no idea what he was thinking. No idea what his intentions were. The man was shrouded in mystery, and that made Jaune wary. The opponent whose attributes are unknown is dangerous, and Jaune felt he would do well to learn more about this potential opponent.

Still, for the moment, they were allies.

Truth be told, this was the first time Jaune was encountering such creatures too. In the first case, the Nevermore during the Initiation, which specifically countered gunfire, something it would need training to do. This was the first sign that Grimm were capable of higher intelligence than previously thought, and also learning.

The next was the Archer Grimm, proof that Grimm were physically evolving too, and could possess much higher levels of intelligence and skill, as well as powers they had never shown before.

Jaune had discovered early during his training with Kenshiro, that Grimm had Ki, or Aura, making them living beings. That had first led him to acknowledge that there had to be more to them than the mindless beasts Hunters made them out to be. In all his conversations with Hunters, he had never once met one who was aware of this facet of them.

Putting that together with his new findings, and Jaune was certain he was on the right track.

The Grimm _were_ evolving. They were living beings, and growing stronger and smarter, with an emphasis on combat. They were either training by themselves, or, more likely, being trained by someone.

However, he did not speak any of this aloud to Ozpin. Not that it was a hard conclusion to come to logically, and he was sure the wizard had followed a similar train of logic. However, he still wanted to keep this whole vista of possibilities to himself. There was a lot more information to be gathered, and conclusive proof was needed.

He stared Ozpin in the eye.

"That's two favours you owe me. One for getting rid of the Anti-Faunus trash, and another for informing you about these new, improved Grimm. You remember our deal, don't you?"

Ozpin exhaled and nodded.

"Indeed. A favour for a favour. That means you've earned two questions, Mr Souther."

_Finally._

He was sure Ozpin wouldn't answer the biggest questions at this stage. Better to go with something he would. No point trying for too much too early.

"Why do you fight the Grimm?"

"For survival, of course," answered Ozpin, stating the obvious.

Jaune shook his head.

"You misunderstand. You can fight for survival by yourself, or in a small group too. Why create this army, lead organized efforts? And I know survival isn't the goal. You hide things from your Hunters. So I'll ask again: why do you fight the Grimm?"

Ozpin regarded him with a seemingly blank stare for a moment, eyes sharp. Ultimately, he answered.

"They are representatives. The means to an end. Consider them a force, Mr Souther. And I am the one who must oppose that force. For personal reasons."

The young fighter could barely stop a smirk from making its way onto his face. Well, well. It seemed the ever pragmatic leader of the Huntsman had surprisingly base and emotional reasons for his actions.

Ozpin very rarely lied outright. No, his method was more along the lines of speaking a part of the truth, which often ended up confusing the listener. So, Jaune carefully noted his words. He would analyse them at ease later. For now though…

"You said '_a' _means. Not '_the'_ means. Implying there are others. So: who else is on this other side you speak of?"

Ozpin blinked once, and clenched his jaw for a second, the only sign he gave of irritation at this boy's inconvenient sharpness. He had wondered before what it might be like to have someone who had Qrow's wits and Ironwood's single-minded focus. The answer… was someone nearly impossible to control or deal with. Still, he had made a deal. Keeping it would be to his advantage. In any case, Jaune's creed involved protecting those who couldn't protect themselves. So far, that was a goal that did not clash with Ozpin's. On the other hand, it had a shared path. So, he could make use of the boy's considerable combat strength for his own purposes.

"The White Fang… and certain other rogue elements. That is all I can say for now. However, keep my warning in mind, Mr Souther. Do not draw unnecessary attention to yourself, or to the war raging in the shadows. I do not need to remind you what the result of mass hysteria will be."

Of course. They just happened to live in a world where panic meant instant Grimm apocalypse.

"Interesting. I've run into White Fang operatives before. Didn't know they were connected to the Grimm problem though, no matter how obtusely. Well, I guess that's all. Not much more I had to discuss."

Jaune began to leave, when he heard Ozpin's voice.

"Mr Souther. Will you be participating in the Vytal Festival?"

Without turning around, he answered.

"... It's a possibility. Is there a solo tournament?"

Ozpin laughed lightly.

"You're far too harsh on your teammates."

"I'm pretty lenient though. I wouldn't mind a chance to cut loose. Well, I'll think about it."

With that, the meeting ended.

Jaune stepped into the elevator, which carried him down to the ground floor in seconds. He looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day. Just enough cloud cover for it to not be too hot, but no fear of immediate rain. It was still bright, and a slight breeze was blowing.

_Hmm. Haven't really got anything to do right now._

It was true. It was a Sunday, so there were no classes, and Jaune was already done with all his assignments. He had taken his analysis of the unusual Grimm as far as he could with the data he currently had, so there was nothing to do on that front either. He _could_ have gone to the library and gathered some more research material on the more mysterious parts of Remnant's history… but he simply didn't feel like it at the moment.

The weather was amazing, and he felt energetic.

_Hit the weights, then? _

Beacon had a state of the art gym that used a gravity-simulation system, enabling one to train with free weights far greater than the mass of the plates and bars would normally entail. While with Kenshiro, his resistance training had consisted of calisthenics and lifting up natural weights, such as boulders or trees. There were a few occasions when they'd gone really heavy, but that had involved nearly rearranging the landscape, so these sessions were few and far in between.

As a result, he loved the equipment available at the school, since he could push himself further without fear of damaging the environment. He'd actually _gained_ muscle since coming here, a natural consequence of heavy training, better rest, and improved diet.

He still couldn't go anywhere close to all out, but a combination of slow, controlled reps and numerous sets were doing wonders.

_I still think Master was stronger, though. There was that time he dropped a building on himself and walked through it like nothing._

He allowed a slight smile to make its way onto his face. Despite how seemingly stoic Kenshiro had been, he'd had a sense of humour, and even liked showing off a little. One just had to know him well enough to spot those moments. Although he never acknowledged it, Jaune knew he loved doing ridiculously over-the-top things, especially if it would score points off someone with bad intentions. There had been a particularly memorable time when they had foiled a Dust robbery. Kenshiro's preferred method had been to stop the electrified train with two fingers, then make Jaune unhook the carriages containing the cargo, and lug them back to base, as a training exercise.

_Good times._

Jaune decided to head to the Dining Hall and grab a pre-workout snack before getting changed and going to the gym. As he entered the Hall, he was promptly called by a familiar voice.

"Yo!"

He looked at the source of it, and walked over to him.

"What's up, man?"

Cardin held out a hand, which Jaune clasped in a kind of handshake he'd picked up from him. Since the second incident, the two of them had began regularly interacting. Jaune quickly learned that there was more to the former bully than he had thought at first.

Many people who have the potential to be good go down wrong paths in life. Sometimes, having someone pull them out of those paths gives them the opportunity to redeem themselves. Be better. Be the people they _can_ be.

Cardin and his team were crude, and baudy about their jokes. They were loud, blunt, and direct. And they had been the sort to use their strength to push others around. But that was because they had lived in a world where that was what _everyone_ was doing. A world where you were either the one doing the beating up, or the one getting beaten up.

Beacon was their first taste of learning that just because you had power, didn't mean you had to use it to step on others. It was their first taste of humility, and a reminder of what it was like to be weak. Cardin's humiliation could have left them broken.

After all, it would have only confirmed what they already knew: if you're weak, you get destroyed and cast aside.

But when Jaune stood up to the third years to defend him, it showed them something they had never imagined possible.

That someone might still care about them. That even now, there was hope.

And that had brought out the sides of them that had before been buried, only to peek through at times.

Yes, they were crude, rough, and baudy. But they stuck together, as brothers, something that showed loyalty. That same loyalty was now extended to Jaune, and that showed that they knew gratitude too. And now, they'd learnt to respect others. There was a long road to go, and it wouldn't be easy, but they'd taken their first steps.

Jaune found he enjoyed spending time with them. As someone who had mostly lived his growing-up years in the wilds, he was fascinated by all the things they shared with him about urban life. Different kinds of gloriously unhealthy (and tasty) junk food. Video games, manga, music, and popular culture in general. And an overall sense of the life and struggles of those in the cities.

"You listen to that album I gave you?" Cardin asked.

"_Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?_ I have to admit… that's a pretty cool album."

"I know, right? Those guitar parts, man!"

Jaune rolled his eyes slightly, but nodded in agreement. The guitars _were_ indeed, very impressive. He'd had an old acoustic back home in the Arc household, but he'd never gotten around to actually learning how to play.

_Can I imagine being one of those guys who carries that around and tries to serenade girls? _

He laughed at the mental imagery.

_Yeah, I don't see that working out for me. But if it were an electric…_

He pictured a different version of himself, standing on a truck, playing a guitar hooked up to a massive amp and cabinet, while the truck itself screamed down a desert road.

_Oh, what a day. What a lovely day that would be._

"Hey, you OK, man?"

He came out of his little daydream to see CRDL staring at him.

"Yeah. Just thought of something cool, is all. Sadly, I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon. Don't have the money to buy all that equipment."

The team nodded in commiseration. Not having the money to buy what one wanted was a pain they had all felt.

"Anyway, scratch that. We're heading to town. You want to join us?"

Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"To town? What for?"

Cardin stared at him as if he'd just said he didn't know what kingdom they were in.

"To check out the new arrivals, duh! You haven't heard? The folks from the other kingdoms are starting to arrive for the Vytal Festival. It _is _a pretty big event. A lot of people want to see it live. But they aren't the only ones coming. You see, there are participants from the other schools too. And _they_ are going to be arriving too."

Jaune nodded in understanding.

"So you want to go scope out the competition, see if you can learn something about them and get an advantage before the tournament begins."

They flinched slightly at how blunty Jaune had stated their intentions.

"You could have said it less harshly, dude…"

"I don't mind. I think it's a good idea," Jaune said, surprising them. Noticing that their mouths were hanging open slightly, he clarified himself.

"There's nothing wrong with scouting out an opponent beforehand. In fact, it's what a smart warrior would _always _do. Injuring them or attempting to eliminate them or weaken them? Now that's unfair. Simply observing them is fine, though."

"Oooooh…" they chorused, reacting to his words as though they were gospel. Soon enough, however, they returned to normal.

"So, you coming with or not?"

"Hmm…."

Jaune hadn't particularly been planning on checking out the new visitors. He'd observe them anyway in time. But now that he thought about it, it wasn't a bad idea. Learning about the people around you was always useful, and if there were any notable warriors among them, Jaune wanted to know.

Besides, the weather was great. Going into town didn't seem like a bad idea at all.

"Sure, why not?"

Jaune was already in his leather gear, and ready to head out.

They arrived at the docks soon, and sure enough, several ships had already come into port, and passengers were getting off board and onto land.

Jaune recognized the attire of people from the other kingdoms, which he had already been to, Atlas, Vacuo, Mistral.

As he watched the visitors, many of whom were recognizable as Hunters-in-training from their gear and attire, Jaune's eyes fell on a certain figure.

She was taller than most women, standing close to six feet, meaning she was almost Jaune's height. She wore a metal breastplate and armour that covered her torso, along with a metal groin guard-plate, thigh plates, greaves and gauntlets, meaning she was in full body-armour. The design was that of an older age, and did not use the lighter carbon fibre material or sleeker structure that was common in modern times. It looked incredibly heavy, which made the easy with which she walked extremely impressive. Every step she took sounded almost like a hammer striking the pavement. A massive blade hung at her back. Long, thick, it was far too big to be called a sword. It was more like a heap of metal. But a sword it was, indeed, it's double edged blade gracefully curving outwards past the middle before tapering again to a point, like a leaf. It's handle had enough space to accommodate two hands and still have space left over, which was an ideal construction for a spaced-out grip needed to properly wield a weapon of that size and weight. The blade was black and grey, and along with the hilt and pommel, showed impressive craftsmanship in the details that adorned it. An elaborate leather wrapping covered the handle. This was a weapon that was deadly, near-impossible to wield, _and_ beautiful.

_Must be quite a swordswoman if she uses that effectively_, Jaune noted.

As he watched, she took off her helmet, which had only a horizontal slit in it to see through.

As it came off, her face was revealed. Her features were finely chiselled, but still had plenty of smooth curves to them, the balance of the two contrasts creating an impression that set her apart from most girls. Large, expressive eyes that were a deep, ocean blue looked at the world around her, taking in the sights. Lips that were pale but still soft parted slightly as she looked on at Vale in wonder. Long golden locks framed her face, trailing all the way to her middle back when not held in by her helmet.

Jaune stepped forward instinctively, forgetting that he was supposed to be standing at a distance near an ice cream stall with CRDL, watching.

"H-hey, dude, what are you…"

He didn't hear what they were saying, only walking towards her in a daze.

As he approached, she turned, and their gazes met.

Both pairs of blue eyes, almost perfectly identical, widened.

They stood, eight feet apart, simply staring at each other.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the girl spoke, cautiously, as if she was afraid of discovering she was mistaken.

"Bro…?"

"Lily…"

And so it was, that four years since Jaune had set out with Kenshiro to change himself and his life, he was once more reunited with his twin, Lily Arc.

"It really is you…" she muttered. "You look so different… for a while I thought I must be seeing things."

"I could say the same thing," he replied, likewise in a soft voice. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

She nodded.

"Yeah. It has." 


	11. A Meeting Set

**Author's note: **Someone asked if Lily is based on Guts. The answer is… to an extent. But her fighting style is vastly different from Guts, as is her personality. She's an interesting character, and her intentions aren't clear right from the outset.****

**Chapter 10: A Meeting Set**

"What are we doing here again?"

"Oh, nothing. Enjoying a day in town. Seeing the sights. Specifically the sights that might be arriving from the other kingdoms."

Yang's voice trailed off, muttering something about "good looking guys".

"Sis!" Ruby protested. A part of her resented being dragged along on another one of Yang's sudden urges. But she ignored the feeling. After all, an occasional trip into town was fun. She needed to restock on snacks, and besides: a part of her was curious as to the visitors from the other kingdoms too. After all, she'd be facing them in the Vytal tournament. Might as well take a look and see what to expect.

And of course, this was a prime opportunity to check out their weapons!

Next to her, Blake was less optimistic about the whole thing. But like the others, she had certain things she needed to take care of in town. Tukson's bookshop might have finally obtained a copy of the book she'd asked for, in which case, a visit was in order. She shot a glance at the silver haired girl walking next to her.

Normally, she would have been fairly vocal about her thoughts on this little outing (not to mention eager to get any possible information on the competition). But today, she was rather subdued. Silent, lost in her thoughts, moving on autopilot, without really paying attention to what anyone else was saying. She'd been like this for the past week or so.

Since _that_ incident.

Following the one-on-three beatdown in the Dining Hall, Jaune had become infamous at Beacon. Cardin's confession had revealed to everyone that the third years had been anti-Faunus criminals. Then there had been his admission of his own guilt, along with his blunt condemnation of how hypocritical people were for blaming the blond fighter for putting him in his place. The effect had been immediate. Most people had enough grace to be ashamed, and the rumours and bad-mouthing stopped overnight.

But that wasn't all.

A new legend was beginning.

The fact was, Jaune defeating Cardin, though impressive, had been within the bounds of possibility.

Him single-handedly destroying three third years on the brink of graduation from Beacon?

A feat only the teachers, or some other fully trained Hunter could do.

But doing so in less than ten seconds, completely unarmed?

There hadn't been an incident like that in the _history_ of Beacon.

Videos had been made, and circulated online.

Jaune was no longer just a weird first year.

He was _the_ weird first year. Questions abounded: what sort of power did he possess? To have enough strength and speed to destroy three Aura shields in just a few blows without seeming to even try. What sort of training had he done? Or was it instead natural ability he was born with? What sort of fighting style was that anyway? It looked similar to the unarmed forms some Hunters used, but so much more effective, and far more direct, lacking any visible tells that gave away the move about to come.

In trademark Jaune fashion, he had completely ignored all of the new hubbub. He continued as before. Training, going to class, studying, eating, sleeping.

But unlike before, the dynamic between him and RWBY had changed.

After his declaration that they were not friends, things had become incredibly awkward for the all-girl team. He was someone they saw and met everyday, and they just weren't used to someone like that outright telling them that they weren't that close. It broke the unwritten rule of maintaining the social status quo.

And none of them really knew how to deal with that.

They couldn't ignore him: there were plenty of assignments that required students to interact with each other and work together.

But they couldn't just talk to him like nothing was wrong. That was no longer a possibility.

So, a tense silence would pop up whenever he was around them. They'd instinctively avoid eye contact.

The exception, as before, was Weiss.

Her behaviour was the exact opposite.

Blake often saw her staring at the boy, though never succeeding in mustering up enough courage to go and speak to him. It was easy to see that she hated that. Hated that she wasn't able to find a way to close the gap between them.

And… the dynamic between Weiss and the rest of the team had changed too.

As arrogant, self-righteous and exacting as the heiress had been before, there had been some understanding between her and the other three. Some common ground to stand on. That had all changed.

Even though nothing was said aloud, everyone knew it. Weiss couldn't forget that she had turned her back on Jaune when she should have stayed by his side. And… she couldn't forget that the rest of RWBY had done the same thing, and remained uninvolved, doing nothing to help him until she had indirectly pressured them into doing so.

The trust between her and them now was fractured. Nothing was acknowledge. But under the surface, nothing was right.

And then, of course, there was Jaune's own team. If the divide in RWBY was uncomfortable, that in JNPR was far worse.

Jaune lived in the same dorm as them, and to be sure, he functioned as a leader during team exercises, but that was about where their interactions began and ended. He spent his leisure time hanging out more with other random people, who were beginning to approach him more now, curious to learn about him. And of course, he hung out, of all people, with CRDL.

The irony was impossible to miss. Yet, it was strangely appropriate. The one shunned as a loner was now hanging out with the black sheep among the first years.

The feeling of her Scroll's vibration brought her out of her thoughts, and she drew it from her pocket to check the notification.

"Dust robbery?"

Next to her, Yang and Ruby were checking it out on their Scrolls too, having received the same notification from their news apps.

"Says here a large shipment's been taken. Lot of people got hurt."

Blake frowned. She knew of an organization that did exactly things like this.

"Sounds like typical White Fang to me," said Weiss quietly, quickly checking her Scroll before putting it away.

Blake glared at her. While Weiss wasn't wrong, it still irked her that she was so quick to assume that her former group was responsible.

"What makes you think they did it?"

Weiss gave her a tired look. Blake was expecting her to argue her point, but instead she sighed.

"You know what? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. It's just another setback the company has to deal with."

_That's right. She's the heir to the Schnee Dust Company, isn't she?_ _It isn't really surprising she hates the White Fang. No one likes it when the ones they've been oppressing rise up against them._

The Schnee Dust Company was known among Faunus as exploitative slave drivers who forced their people to work in the mines for their excellent night vision and physical traits that were useful for underground work and digging.

They were ruthless, cruel, and greedy.

Blake didn't regret stealing from them. She saw it as taking fair payment.

But… was Weiss like the rest of her family? Did she truly know what the company she might one day own did behind the scenes?

She shook her head. All pointless speculation for now.

Suddenly, she felt like she needed to be alone. Or at any rate, be away from Weiss for a while.

"Umm… you guys go ahead. I'm going to take a detour to Tukson's bookshop. Got something I need to pick up."

Yang's eyebrows shot up.

"Oh! Is it the latest volume of that smut novel you keep read-"

"GOTTAGOBYE!"

She zipped away before the statement could be finished, leaving a dust cloud in her wake.

The blonde elder sister grinned slightly. This gag never got old.

"Well, one person less. But we continue, right?"

Deeply unenthusiastic glares met her, and a drop of sweat rolled down her face. Deciding not to push her luck, she started walking, with the others following suit.

Before long, they found themselves at the docks.

Weiss looked around. Her heart wasn't in this little outing at all. She really just wanted to lie down and rest for a day. The past week had been difficult, and Yang's perpetual good cheer in particular was starting to get on her nerves.

Even with the Vytal Festival coming up, she found it hard to care. She knew that in the long run, winning a tournament wouldn't have much effect on her future as a Huntress. Whether you were champion, or someone who didn't even qualify, your job was to fight Grimm, and protect people.

And there was something else she'd much rather be doing than thinking about some stupid competition.

There was someone she wanted to talk to.

But she just hadn't been able to bring herself to do it.

Sighing, she tried not to think about it, only for her eyes to fall on exactly the reason for her mood.

_Jaune… what's he doing here?_

The young Shinken was indeed just a few yards in front of her. However, he hadn't noticed Weiss' presence. His attention was entirely focused on another girl.

Said girl was clad in full body armour, and carrying on her back the most massive sword Weiss had ever seen. The heiress found it hard to believe a weapon like that could even be used in battle: it looked like it weighed at least five times what Crescent Rose did.

More than that, what bothered Weiss was the fact that this girl, this… unknown nobody… had what she hadn't even been able to try to possess for the past week.

She had Jaune's complete and undivided attention.

Just seeing the way he stared at her, wide-eyed, unguarded, allowing his emotions to show on his face; the way none of the walls he constantly had up around him in school were raised at the moment; it enraged Weiss. For an instant, she felt a maddening urge to whip out Myrtenaster and fire a burst of Dust at her.

But she reined it in.

Losing control was pointless.

Instead, she carefully looked at her. Having managed to control her anger a little, she now noticed that the girl looked extremely similar to Jaune. They had the same high cheekbones and strong jaws, the same sharp noses and large, blue eyes. The same golden hair. Even their physiques were somewhat similar, both of them being tall and possessing naturally athletic builds, which they had both improved through training.

It took only a few seconds for the answer to click in Weiss' brain.

_She's his sister!_

But… judging by how alike they looked, she wasn't just any sister. They appeared very similar in age.

_His twin?_

Weiss' eyes widened as she made the realization.

She watched on, unable to look away.

Jaune had never spoken of his family at all.

It occurred to Weiss that she knew almost nothing about him. He had never spoken about his past, and everything she did know about it she had discovered during the Archer Grimm's psychic attack. She remembered his thoughts about his Master, someone named Kenshiro. About his duty to protect people. About his attempt to save that village, which had most likely ended in failure.

From the little she knew, it seemed like he'd been travelling with his Master. Travelling in the wilds.

How long had it been since Jaune had seen his family?

Since he had seen his sister?

Why did he never speak of them?

Weiss wanted to know.

She heard a voice next to her.

"Hey, I might be seeing things, but isn't that Jaune over there? And he's talking to his female lookalike?"

Yang and Ruby were both staring at the scene in front of them in awe.

"She really does look like him," muttered the younger sister, mouth hanging open slightly.

Not paying them much mind, Weiss began to walk forward, approaching the twins. She didn't even know what she was going to say to them. But she went forward on instinct.

Noticing her presence, both of them turned to look at her, Jaune's face exhibiting surprise for a moment.

"Weiss?"

The girl regarded her curiously.

"Friend of yours?" she asked Jaune.

Weiss stiffened at the sound of that word.

_Friend._

Jaune had categorically denied any such relationship existed between him and RWBY. And though he hadn't been looking at Weiss while saying it, she still feared that she was no different to him. That she too would be rejected. Her entire body went rigid, and she could almost feel herself about to start sweating.

"Yes," answered Jaune.

Weiss stared at him in surprise, unable to believe what he had just said. A sense of relief washed over her, so powerful that she actually felt herself loosen up. She felt lighter, almost as if she could float in the wind.

"This is Weiss Schnee," he said, seemingly unaware of her reaction. "She's my classmate. And… she's helped me out a couple times."

He turned to Weiss.

"This is Lily. She's my sister."

Weiss nodded politely to the girl, acknowledging her.

Lily's reaction was less subtle.

"EHHH? Really? You know a girl? I was kind of joking with that question, but you actually, really know a girl? And one this pretty?"

_What even…_

Before Weiss could react, Lily had zoomed right up to her. How she had managed to get there that fast while in full armour, Weiss had no idea. Upclose, she was struck by how much taller the blonde was than her. The unusual sharpness to her features accentuated them all. Weiss couldn't help but notice she was quite attractive, even as the knight examined her from every angle.

She immediately caught herself and protested at the rudeness.

"Hey…"

But by then, Lily was already done with her evaluation, and was giving Jaune a thumbs-up in approval.

"Bro. This is one legit beautiful girl. You've done well."

Weiss felt a furious blush cover her face. She found herself stammering, unable to vocalize a proper statement.

Fortunately for her, Jaune spared her the need to do so.

Sighing, his expression became the familiar look of annoyance that every person with a troublesome sibling knows.

"Cut it out, Lily. You're making her uncomfortable. Also, don't go saying whatever comes to mind."

The sister raised her hands to placate Jaune.

"All right, all right. I'll stop. I was just messing around, is all."

She turned to Weiss.

"Sorry, princess. Didn't mean to offend."

"It's okay, you didn't", Weiss found herself saying.

Lily's expression immediately changed to an evil grin that would put Yang to shame.

_Okay, shit. Mistakes have been made. Repeat: mistakes have been made._

Weiss started to panic, but stopped when she felt a strong arm brush her own. Jaune was standing right next to her, almost in front of her, an arm extended slightly, as if to shield her from Lily. For the second time, Weiss found herself blushing. She had seen him in his leather jacket plenty of times, but from this close, she gained a newfound appreciation of how large his arms were. Each one was around the thickness of three of her own put together, and his back seemed wide enough to balance a car on. She had never thought about it specifically, but Jaune had a good body.

"Hey", said Jaune, his voice completely serious now. "Quit messing around with her."

This was the same serious side Jaune had shown when teaching Cardin a lesson; the same side he'd shown when knocking the third years down a peg. Weiss had found this unsmiling, cold persona scary every time she'd seen it.

But something about having that same Jaune stand in front of her protectively made her feel incredibly safe. She couldn't help unconsciously drawing closer to him, lowering her head slightly and hoping he hadn't noticed how red her face was.

Lily blinked a few times.

"... You really have changed, brother. You were always feisty… but there's something different about you now. Makes me feel you can actually back up the words you speak."

Weiss could feel the growing tension in the air.

All of a sudden, this seemingly joyous reunion had taken an unexpected turn. She could almost physically feel the disgust pouring out of Jaune.

_So they don't exactly get along, do they? _

The twins were far from a pair that was in agreement about everything.

Indeed, it felt more to Weiss like they were the kind of pair that fought over the smallest things.

She wondered for a moment if she should warn the girl to stop pushing him.

Weiss could tell that Lily was powerful, but then powerful was an understatement when talking about Jaune. Also, Serious Jaune had zero qualms about uncompromisingly wrecking whatever opponent was put in front of him, and judging from the vibe he was giving at the moment, Weiss doubted his own sister was going to be any exception.

The silver haired girl knew what it was like to have a sibling she disliked.

And… she didn't want these two to fight.

"Jaune…" she whispered slightly, hoping he'd hear, and understand.

The powerful aura persisted for a second, before relaxing.

Jaune spoke in a tired voice.

"Four years since we last met. It's been less than ten minutes, and you're already a pain in the ass."

Lily laughed.

"I've missed you too, brother. And how curious… you've done some growing up since then. Leaving the family home was the best decision you ever made. I know this… because it's the best decision I ever made too."

Jaune narrowed his eyes.

"You left as well?"

"Indeed, brother. My, my, the Arc name is running out of people to inherit it, huh? Ah well. There are still six more of us. I'm sure someone will accept it."

Weiss stared up at Jaune in shock. She felt like a lightning bolt had just struck.

_Jaune… is an Arc?_

The famous bloodline of legendary Hunters, famed for their incredibly powerful Auras.

He clenched his teeth, glaring at his sister.

"The silent treatment, huh? Well, no matter. I wasn't expecting to run into you here, but it's rather fun that I have. I look forward to getting to know you all bet-"

"Stay away from me, and the people around me."

"... Excuse me?"

"Stay away, Lily. I'd rather not deal with your bullshit."

The sister frowned, showing signs of anger for the first time, but quickly switched to a smirk.

"You'll have to make me. You were always the runt of the litter, Jaune. Maybe I should remind you of your place."

"_Jaune, stay calm…" _ Weiss whispered.

The blond warrior said nothing for a while.

Then…

"Hah… haha… hahahahahaha…"

He laughed softly.

Lily had to fight hard to stop herself from taking a step back.

That laughter had been more unnerving than his fierce face.

Jaune smiled slightly.

"_Careful what you wish for, sister."_

Lily stood her ground.

This new, changed version of her brother was intimidating. But she had trained to face difficult opponents head on.

"All right, then. At the Vytal Festival. A fight with the whole world watching. How does that sound?"

"_I'll fight you at the Vytal Festival."_

For a moment, they were all silent, until Lily pressed one of her gauntlets slightly, causing a holographic display to pop up. It seemed, contrary to what their medieval design suggested, her armour did have modern tech involved.

She looked at the screen for a while before turning it off.

"Well, gotta go, brother. We'll meet again soon."

When she was gone, Weiss finally allowed herself to relax a little.

She felt Jaune return to his normal self as well. Turning to her, he spoke.

"You all right?"

She nodded.

"Jaune… is it true? Are you really an Arc?"

The boy looked into her eyes, and Weiss didn't look away.

Finally, he spoke.

"Well, I suppose we have a lot to discuss. Giving you the answer without proper context will only be detrimental. And… I have things I want to ask you as well."

And so it was, that the two finally began to communicate in earnest. 


	12. Shadows of the Past

**Season 1 Finale, Part I: Shadows of the Past**

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Weiss shook her head, still completely preoccupied with the things she had learnt mere minutes ago. She was still trying to process all the new information.

"Eat up. Don't get so caught up in the mind that you ignore the body."

She looked at Jaune, who was sitting right opposite him at the table they had occupied. They were currently in a local eatery called Williams'. It was a typical small diner, owned and operated by a family by themselves. The paint on the walls was peeling off in places, and quite a few of the posters were outdated. There was no air conditioning either. For music, the place had a stereo playing. All in all, _not _the kind of place Weiss was used to dining at.

Yet, here she was, for the simple reason that this was one of the joints where the prices were within Jaune's budget.

Weiss had seen the signboard and the door from outside, and when she had realized Jaune intended to have lunch there, she had protested.

"Wait, we're eating _here_?"

The boy had turned around and replied with a slightly surprised expression, not quite understanding what she was getting so worked up about.

"Of course. That's what people do at a diner, right?"

She had shaken her head rapidly.

"Here, of all places?"

"What's wrong with here?"

"Have you _seen_ the place? There are so many better restaurants in town."

"Like?"

"The Golden Dragon is literally a block away!"

Jaune had looked at her like she'd gone mad, face turning pale as if he'd seen a ghost.

"You trying to empty my savings or what? No way I can afford to eat in a place like that!"

The frank way in which he'd spoken of his financial limits right off the bat had caught her off-guard. Firstly, of course, because money had never been an issue for her. She'd never once had to forego something because of lack of funds. Secondly, because everyone around her back in Atlas had been the same. Business folk and elite professionals, who accepted nothing less than the finest no matter what they were purchasing. However, as Weiss was a token heiress, whose interests lay more in the combat arts than those of business, she had never really been around when hard numbers were discussed. She was forced to attend plenty of gatherings, and in such settings, direct talk of money was considered crude.

All of that put together meant that she was quite sheltered, and taken aback at Jaune's open declaration of not being able to eat at the Golden Dragon, which was on the cheaper end of places to dine at by Schnee standards. It was even more inconceivable considering the fact that Jaune was from the Arc family, who were well off in their right.

Of course, as sheltered as Weiss was, her heart was in the right place.

"Well, you can consider it my treat-"

"Out of the question. I can't let you pay for me."

His tone left no room for argument, which led them to the present moment.

Weiss had opted for a pasta, and Jaune had, surprisingly, ordered a double hamburger.

"Isn't that… bad for the 'gains'?" Weiss indicated air quotes while asking the question.

"On the other hand, you need calories to gain mass. But yeah, food this greasy isn't exactly good for the heart."

"Then why-"

"Because I don't eat this stuff everyday. Gotta live once in a while, right?"

Weiss stared at the food in front of her. The plate was hot, and the sauce did indeed look incredibly greasy. Yet, for whatever strange reason, the pasta soaked in it seemed appetizing. A little cautiously, she transferred some to her mouth with a fork, and immediately felt her eyes widen. She took a second mouthful. And a third.

By the time she realized what she was doing, she was halfway through the plate. Looking up, she found Jaune had the slightest of smiles on his face.

"Not a word," she said.

"Hey, I didn't say anything."

They finished their meal in silence, at which point the middle aged man who had brought them the food came over to collect the plates.

"You're doing well, Souther. Got a girlfriend and all."

"Come on, Williams. Spare me the ribbing, will ya? Get us the bill already."

They both laughed, and it was clear to Weiss that they knew each other to some extent. She observed the interaction. Once again, it was something she was unfamiliar with. Of all the people back at the Schnee estate, she was closest to Klein, who served the family. But other than this one dynamic, she had been raised to maintain a distance from working class folk, who were considered "beneath" them by her father. Weiss had never subscribed to this way of thinking, but she had been watched far too closely to go against those instructions.

Watching Jaune talk freely to Williams, she was reminded how pointless those restrictions had been. If nobility was hereditary, then Jaune was certainly a noble too, yet he had no qualms about speaking to and walking among the people as one of their own. At Beacon, he had befriended Cardin and his team, who were generally looked upon as the worst of the , he had also not hesitated to put them in their place.

Suddenly, many incidents she had never really paid attention to started to come to mind. Jaune did not spend much time talking to other students, but Weiss had often seen him conversing with the maintenance and repair crews, the cooks, the weaponsmiths, and several other members of staff at Beacon.

It made no difference to him what walk of life you were from.

Certainly, Jaune did not carry himself like any of the aristocrats or teenagers from notable families Weiss had met back in Atlas.

His speech could be crude at times, and his methods brutal. Yet, he somehow carried far more self-respect and dignity than any of the far more polished nobles she had met.

For the second time since coming to Vale, Weiss found herself humbled.

Williams' diner might not have been extravagant, but it was not lacking either. The tables were clean, the food tasty, and even the music was good. It wasn't exactly the healthiest meal, but she'd be lying if she said the larger establishments she visited were completely above criticism on that count.

She really need not have feared entering this place.

Bowing her head slightly, she decided to give a word of thanks to the man.

"The food was good, sir. I rather enjoyed it."

Williams grinned widely.

"There's no need to be so formal, miss. Come back her sometime with Souther. Guy tends to take himself a wee bit too seriously, but I have a feeling you can fix that."

Weiss found herself smiling slightly too.

"I wonder. I'll certainly try."

Still laughing raucously, he walked away with the plates.

"You were right. This is a good place," she said to Jaune.

"... Why do I have the feeling I'll regret introducing you to him?"

He shook his head, prompting Weiss to giggle. Williams' observation _had_ been spot on. While Jaune could be intimidating, his whole persona got a lot funnier if one thought of the stoic act as something he had to consciously maintain. Certainly, his occasional awkward reactions supported that theory.

"So. I guess you're going to want to ask some questions now, aren't you?" He looked at her. For the first time since when she had pushed him away, his eyes finally seemed as if he was open to her again.

"Why now?" Weiss found herself asking.

_Why now, after all this time?_

She had been all but certain that she'd never be able to repair the bond she had with him. That she'd have to resign herself to trying and failing. Yet, here they were, together. She knew him better now, knew that there was a darker side to him.

But now, at last, she was seeing the same eyes that had won her over in the first place.

The same boy who had encouraged and supported her, been the first, and only person she had confided to in Beacon.

Jaune looked like was seriously considering how to answer the question, but ultimately, he shrugged and smiled.

"Honestly? I don't know. I can't get a read on you at all. So I trusted my instincts."

"I see."

Weiss closed her eyes for a moment, simply happy that at least the cold distance between them was gone now. She was at a proper starting line now, to getting to know him.

"What about you? Why help me?"

Jaune stared at her intently, observing her reaction.

Put on the spot, Weiss fumbled for words. There was really no way to answer that question other than the truth, and no way to dress up that truth in a way that was less embarrassing to admit.

What exactly _was _Jaune to her?

She had been overjoyed when he had admitted he considered her a friend.

But her feelings towards him weren't that easy to sum up. To answer by saying she did it because they were friends would be a lie. Yet, she didn't really know what they were.

"I- because…" she began fiercely, but her voice grew softer, until she finished in almost a whisper. "Because I care."

It was the part of the truth that she could say with absolute certainty.

She looked up, wondering if she had said the right thing.

Only to be greeted by the sight of Jaune's face when, for a brief moment, he was unable to hide himself at all. His eyes were wide, and his mouth open slightly. Just for a while, he really did look like a teenager, one who had just had his breath taken away.

Weiss committed the sight to her memory. She felt it would be precious in the times to come. A reminder, that somewhere underneath all the power and skill, the ruthless fighting instinct and warlike sternness, there was just a young boy, who could experience absolute wonder and joy simply from knowing someone cared about him.

More than ever, she was sure she had made the right choice in standing by him, and wanted to help him. Wanted to know why he was the way he was. She wanted to know him. All of him.

"Jaune… who are you, really?"

It was a simple question, but it carried immense weight.

Jaune did not answer immediately. But, after a sigh, he did so.

"I was born Jaune Arc, the only son of the current generation of that family. And I'm the Successor to the Divine Fist of the North Star, the martial art that constitutes the pinnacle of the assassin's fist. I was trained by Master Kenshiro. He taught me everything I know. Not just fighting… but what it means to be a man… to be a living being. He trained me for four years, at which point he deemed me fit to be the Successor."

"Did… did you part ways with him, then?" Weiss asked.

"He is dead," Jaune answered softly. "As powerful as Kenshiro was, no man is immortal. He died peacefully, though, having done everything he set out to in life."

Jaune remembered Kenshiro's words to him.

"_I am glad I was able to pass on Hokuto Shinken to you. I know now that you will live well, and use it to bring many smiles on people's faces. Live strong, Jaune. Be the light in someone's darkness." _

"I- I'm sorry," said Weiss.

She had suspected that Jaune's Master was no more from his reaction to learning that he had not been present in the Archer Grimm's illusion. She had no intention to reawaken that sorrow.

"Don't be," answered Jaune, smiling slightly. "He lived well, and died with no regrets. There is nothing to grieve over."

Despite those words, however, Weiss could see the pain that flashed in them for a second.

"He must have meant a lot to you."

Jaune's voice felt slightly hoarse, but he managed to get the words out.

"He was like a father to me."

Silence followed for a while.

Weiss was unwilling to break it, and ultimately, it was Jaune who did.

"After his passing, I started travelling on my own. We had been to many places together, solving problems the Hunters either wouldn't, or couldn't. I continued doing the same thing. But I soon realized… the way things are right now, this war will not end well. I needed answers. So, I came to Beacon."

The heiress was uncertain if she should push further. After all, he had already revealed a lot.

"You should ask, Weiss. I see you've got more questions. I don't bite, you know."

Feeling relieved once more, she took him up on the offer.

"What answers are you searching for?"

Jaune looked into her eyes.

"... Can you keep a secret?"

Weiss blinked.

For a second, she was afraid he would ask her to hide something terrible, but she immediately dismissed the thought. She trusted Jaune. He was many things, but not evil.

"I can", she said.

Jaune nodded.

"I'm trying to uncover the true nature of the Grimm."

"The true nature of the Grimm?"

She raised an eyebrow.

What was there to uncover? They were soulless beasts that preyed on humans, drawn to negative emotions. The single biggest threat to the survival of humanity, and the reason Hunters even existed in the first place.

Jaune noticed her reaction. It was only to be expected. Most Hunters didn't know how to sense the Auras of others without being connected to them. And of course, no one tried connecting with a Grimm.

"Weiss… the Grimm are _alive._ They have Aura."

She started, and her expression of surprise became one of anger as she banged the table with her fist.

"That's preposterous!"

"Weiss, don't break the furniture, please. I can't pay for it," Jaune pleaded.

"Sorry," she said, before reverting to her angrier tone. "But that's just impossible! There's no way the Grimm possess Auras! All the research shows otherwise! Centuries of experience and battle… there's nothing to suggest anything of the sort-"

"All right, then, Weiss. Let me ask you a question. Would you say the Grimm are a threat to humanity?"

"Of course they are!"

"Now between a living, breathing creature, and some lifeless killing machine, which would you rather strike down without hesitation?"

"The lifeless, soulless killing machine, of course."

"_Exactly_. Don't you think the higher ups know this? Don't you think they figured out long ago, that it was far easier to raise warriors to fight an enemy they could wholeheartedly hate, without any regret or remorse? One they would never hold back against?"

Weiss could only stare at him in shock. Words escaped her; she had no answer to the horrible supposition he had just raised. But it was impossible! There was no way… no way that everything in her life was a lie.

"_You're lying,"_ she hissed.

Jaune's eyes were filled with such sorrow as he answered that even Weiss faltered in her anger.

"If only I were, Weiss. But I am not lying."

Weiss' protest faded away.

There was no way Jaune was faking it. And in any case, she did not believe he was the kind of person to lie about something like this.

"They… they're really alive? So… all this time… I've been killing living, breathing beings?"

She felt sick to her stomach, and had to resist the urge to throw up. The very thought of ending a life felt _wrong_.

Jaune's hand closed over her own.

"Yes, you have. And so have I. Do not feel sorry, Weiss. Living beings fight and kill to survive. That is the way of life. It is the way of nature. The Grimm are, for whatever reason, beings that prey on humans. And we defend ourselves against them. There is nothing wrong about that."

Weiss swallowed, looking desperately in his eyes. Even knowing that what he was saying made logical sense, she wasn't able to immediately accept it. It wasn't an easy realization to cope with.

Jaune tightened his grip on her hand.

"You have a kind heart. Master always said the sign of a true warrior is respect for life. You understand the value of what you're destroying. That is why, you will never fall to the darkness, Weiss. That heart is your strength. Embrace it, and stand firm. We are the light in the dark. Lives depend on us, and we cannot fail."

Weiss felt some measure of strength flow into her from those words, and felt herself calm down. Taking a few deep breaths, she was able to gain control over her thoughts.

"So if the Grimm really are living, then…"

"They are not some of foe that exists for the sole purpose of consuming humans. There is more to them, and that is what I seek to discover. It is necessary, in order to end this war for good. Understand, Weiss. You have been lied to. Men like Ozpin have been doing it for centuries. Perhaps even longer."

"How- how do you know all this?"

"About the Grimm? I can sense Auras. It's how I knew we were in danger in the forest. About Ozpin? Common sense and logical reasoning. The Hunters are his personal force. Don't be a sheep, Weiss. You're better than a mindless follower. Don't take my word for any of this, either. Verify it for yourself."

Weiss stared at him for a while.

"Why? Why reveal all this to me?"

"I would reveal it not only to you, but to everyone who has the strength and courage to fight for what's right. I'm sick and tired of good people being sent to die in a pointless war."

He looked around the diner, at the other patrons, at the Williams family behind the counter. Out the window, at the people outside.

"They will panic if I tell them. They're not ready yet. So, it is up to us to protect them. I wish there were more people I could trust with this secret. But I'm glad… I'm glad at least you won't be dying for someone who doesn't deserve your loyalty."

Weiss had no reply to that. She simply sat, weighed down heavily by the burden of what she had learnt. If everything Jaune had said was true… then almost everyone at Beacon was fighting for a lie. It meant the freedom and honour she had sought by becoming a Hunter… was just an illusion. There were really no words to describe how she felt. At least not yet.

"If it was all just false from the beginning… then what am I even worth?"

She had risked everything to come to Beacon. Her life. Her inheritance. Her bond with the only family member she cared about.

"You are worth exactly what you believe you are," said Jaune.

She looked up at his words.

"I've seen many people die. And I've seen many live and suffer. I am absolutely certain now: a life lived for someone else' approval is a life of slavery. Yes, Beacon is a lie, but you are free, Weiss. Free to choose the truth, and make your own truth: something you can believe in. Something you can fight for. Something you can live for."

He looked strangely emotional as he said that. It was like seeing both sides of him together. The side that was far too mature for a seventeen year old: the stoic warrior who had gained wisdom through hardship.

And also, the naive child that had set out four years ago to become strong. The boy who had believed in human virtue, and believed, even now, that there were amazing things in the world.

So, Weiss asked a question before she even knew what she was doing.

"And what about you, Jaune? What do you live for?"

He stiffened slightly, his words coming mechanically, as if they had been memorized by continuous repetition.

"The Shinken must protect the innocent, and destroy evil."

"Is… that all?"

This time it was Jaune who was lost for words.

Unable to find a satisfactory answer, he looked down.

"It's all I have. A responsibility I must fulfill. I chose it willingly."

"That sounds… so lonely."

Weiss understood a little finally, why Jaune was the way he was.

She felt even worse now for ignoring him earlier. It must hurt immensely to be hated and shunned by the very people you were fighting for. Yet, he had continued on.

She had been naive enough to think that was just because of the strength of his spirit.

She saw now that it was because he had never even allowed himself to think of another possibility. He had resigned himself to this destiny, which seemed to be bound to each successor of the martial art he had learnt.

Something about that seemed tragic to her. That he hadn't even allowed himself to consider a possible future where he might be happy for himself.

_I refuse._

_He isn't going to be alone._

Feeling stronger, she met his gaze.

"You should follow your own advice. You can't just live a life according to someone else' legacy. Even if it _is_ one you chose freely. There has to be something you want for yourself. Something… that would make you happy."

"Something for myself, huh? If I could find something like that… yeah, that'd be nice."

Weiss wasn't sure why, but inside, she felt an incredibly strong urge.

If she were to put it into words, she'd say "I want to be that someone. A reason for you to be happy."

She shook her head. How was she even supposed to do something like that? Moreover, why would he even accept such an offer? She'd already seen first hand that his conviction wasn't weak. And who was to say he wouldn't find happiness himself, down the line?

After all, he had chosen to learn Hokuto Shinken. Surely succeeding at that was a source of joy to him. He was struggling now, as all warriors do, since he had tasks he hadn't completed yet. But who was to say he wouldn't find fulfilment and joy in being the protector he spoke of?

And… who was to say he wouldn't find someone else later on? Maybe settle down with them. Decide that he had fought enough for one lifetime.

For some reason, the thought of him doing that with someone else sent a painful feeling through her chest. Just the thought of it made her feel possessive. He had approached _her_. Not anyone else. _They_ had connected. And she wouldn't let anyone get in between them.

They split the bill, and made their way outside. As they walked, Jaune noticed that she was more subdued. Her good mood from earlier in the afternoon had been ruined. He wondered if it was because she was still trying to deal with everything he had told her. He wouldn't be surprised. It was a lot to take in.

But, he didn't like seeing her like this.

She was an enigma to him, and he still didn't fully understand why she had chosen to stand with him, but he was at least sure now that she was real, that her decision wasn't just a passing thing.

He cared about her. Not quite in the same way he cared about the rest of her team, and his own, whom he all valued as human beings.

Weiss was… different.

Seeing her unhappy bothered him far more than he had expected.

Looking up, he saw that the sky had started to darken. The sun was already setting. In a few moments, evening had fallen as they made their way back towards Beacon.

It would be a shame to end the day on a bad note.

Jaune saw an ice cream vendor up ahead.

"You like vanilla? You seem like a vanilla sort of person."

"What sort of ridiculous stereotyping is that!" protested Weiss.

"So vanilla it is, then?"

"...Fine."

Grinning, he paid for two sticks and handed one over to Weiss, who just realized he had broken his earlier condition of being able to pay for one's own meal.

She was about to point this out, when Jaune brought it up himself, in the most unexpected way.

"These things are expensive, you know? You owe me one of these. So… next time we come here, you're buying me one."

The whole idea was so incredibly childish, she couldn't even come up with a suitable comeback.

But she didn't care.

What he had just said… mean that there _would_ be a next time.

Once more, Jaune had tried being smooth, only to be caught out.

But, like the first time… it sort of worked for him. Weiss noted mentally that he'd be the only one she'd let get away with such elementary ways of showing off.

Smiling slightly, she nodded.

"Deal."

And so, they returned to Beacon.

For the first time in a while, the silver haired girl felt happy. Somehow… that uncrossable distance… had been bridged.

She opened the dorm room door and entered, but felt her good mood evaporate almost instantly when she saw Yang and Ruby both armed, looking serious.

"What's going on?"

"It's Blake," answered Yang. "She isn't back yet. And… I can't reach her on her scroll. Something's not right."

Immediately, Weiss flipped the switch in her mind that turned on all her faculties as a Huntress. They'd need to search and find her. And they'd have to set out… now.

**Elsewhere…**

A woman in full body armour carefully observed the activities going on in and around a particular warehouse from her vantage point on a nearby building.

Faunus in masks designed to resemble Grimm bone plates moved crates around, while others stood guard carrying weapons.

"Heh. Found you."

As she continued to observe, two more figures came into view, moving stealthily, approaching the place. One of them, a girl, wore a black and white outfit, and her bow seemed to twitch, almost as if it were… alive. Next to her, a boy with a golden tail walked.

"Well, well. Either Beacon's teaching espionage nowadays, or we have a couple of visitors who just decided to drop in of their own free will. Wonder if they have any idea what they've gotten themselves into."

Lily Arc smiled and spoke into her gauntlet's comm system.

"Proceeding with mission." 


	13. Family

**Author's note: Took the entire day to write. I'm rather looking forward to Season 2. What about you guys?**

**Season 1 Finale, Part 2:**

**Family**

_Twelve hours ago.  
_  
Blake breathed easier now that she had managed to slip away from the rest of her team. She trusted them in battle… but there were things she wasn't confident about letting them know yet.

Like the fact that she was a Faunus. Something she had faced discrimination for already in Vale. Something her entire kind had faced discrimination for. And the case of Velvet Scarlatina showed that Beacon, for all its progressive policies, was not immune to this hatred.

In Blake's case, her situation was made worse by the fact that on her very team was the daughter of the family that was as responsible as any for the pain of her people. The Schnee Dust Company had exploited and enslaved Faunus for generations with the support of the law. They now continued to do so by using loopholes, and outright concealing what they couldn't explain away.

Weiss was everything she would have expected the daughter of a family like that to be. Self-righteous and arrogant. But she was undoubtedly capable. There were good qualities to her as well. She was reliable, and brave. And she had been ready to support Velvet.

Yet, while she might not share the Schnee hatred for Faunus, it was extremely likely the same could not be said for her feelings towards the White Fang. One could be pro-equality and anti-White Fang. In fact, if you were pro-equality, you were most likely against the White Fang by simple logic, since they were responsible for several attacks on civilians, in addition to numerous other criminal acts. They were the largest rogue militant organization in existence.

Blake had been part of that. She had joined back when the group had been peaceful. But she had not left immediately after its change in leadership. She _had _participated in robberies. Was part of the White Fang's forces.

And… she wasn't sure Weiss would be able to forgive her for that.

She relaxed a little when she arrived at Tukson's. Going inside, she asked the old man if he had been able to procure the sequel to Sparda's story, a book called _Devil May Cry_, focusing on his son, Dante. The fact that he had indeed been able to procure it was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise cloudy day. She paid for her copy and left with it, only to immediately run into someone upon exiting the store.

"Ouch… look where you're going, maybe?" she said, slightly more passive aggressive than normal.

"Sorry about that. You okay?"

She got her first real look at the person she had bumped into.

He was tall and well built, his open white shirt providing ample view of a lean torso. His jeans were slightly ripped at the knees, and he wore sneakers. With blond hair and blue eyes, he looked, in a way, similar to Jaune. However, what caught Blake's attention, was his tail.

He quickly noticed that she was staring at it, and moved it around, triggering Blake's tendency to follow moving objects.

"As flattering as the attention is, kitty, we're kind of blocking the view here."

His words broke Blake out of her trance. Embarrassed, she moved out of the way of the entrance to Tukson's, which she had indeed been blocking. Blushing slightly, she still glared at him. It wasn't unusual for Faunus to immediately catch on to others of their kind. They had better senses of smell, and Faunus smelled different from humans. There was also the fact that they simply tended to be more observant of physical cues; it was likely that Sun had spotted her "bow" moving.

She was still annoyed at having been found out so easily, especially by someone who was making zero effort to hide his own nature.

"You really feel confident enough to be walking around like that?" she couldn't help but say.

He looked genuinely surprised for a moment, as if not really sure what she was trying to say, before he realized what she must be referring to, and laughed.

"Eh? What's the point of hiding it? Anyone who's really looking will see anyway. Besides. I'm not afraid of being myself."

Blake was slightly startled. This guy was confident, to say the least. But overconfidence often got people killed.

"This isn't Menagerie. Being yourself is fine… advertising it to the world might not be."

He looked around.

"Really? I don't see anyone trying to hurt me."

He waved at a boy across the street, who was walking by with his parents, and the boy waved back.

Blake grit her teeth in irritation. It wasn't just the fact that he probably knew that his little example just now didn't count, the fact that he knew he was just trying to justify his careless way of life. It was also the fact that he was able to effortlessly reach out and interact with people, something she struggled to do. It was the fact that he was walking around with his true nature on show like it was nothing, though it might get him killed.

"So? You got a name, kitty?"

"The name is Blake, asshole," she muttered.

"Hello, Blake. Any relation to the poet? No? Never mind. I'm Sun. Nice to meetcha."

For a moment, the two of them simply stood there awkwardly. While the boy irritated Blake, she was still in no mood to go back to her dorm or meet her team yet. And she needed a way to spend the time. As annoying as Sun was, he was still a Faunus, and she didn't often get to talk to any at Beacon. Of course, there was no way she would indicate any of this to him.

Fortunately, he spared her the need by making a move first.

"So. As you've probably noticed. I'm new here. Could do with someone to introduce me to the place. You wanna go get some coffee?"

She sighed slightly, but was glad for the opportunity.

"Fine."

And so, ten minutes later, they were hanging out on a rooftop, each of them holding a canned coffee in their hands.

"So, Blake. What's your story?"

"Pfft. Yeah, sure. I'm gonna tell you that right off the bat."

"Ouch. Well, I guess I was asking for that one. Still, you look like you can handle yourself. You a student at Beacon or something?"

It wasn't a difficult guess. If she was a resident of Vale, and a combat specialist, it was likely she was a student at Beacon, which was the nearest institute to this town, not to mention the largest one in Vale.

"And you're someone who's come in for the Vytal Festival," replied Blake.

She was fairly confident she was right. Sun's body language said he knew how to fight, and he definitely wasn't from around here. Given the timing, he was definitely a student from one of the other Academies.

"Shade Academy from good old Vacuo," he said, grinning proudly.

Blake raised an eyebrow.

That was unexpected. Vacuo was notoriously lawless, and conflict was common. The fact that Sun had managed to survive there given the way he was… was impressive.

"You must have the luck of the Devil himself," she muttered.

"I'm pretty lucky," he agreed.

He didn't seem perturbed at anything Blake said. Being laid back and cool seemed part of his nature. He seemed almost impossible to rile up.

Blake sighed. It was like he was the exact opposite of the kind of hotheads that seemed to make up her former organization these days.

"You ever hear of the White Fang?" she asked him.

"Duh. Those assholes are everywhere on the news these days. Sheesh, talk about some jackasses giving an entire people a bad name."

"Not always…" she half-whispered, sadly. But there was truth in his words, and she couldn't deny it. "There was a time when their intentions were good though."

"Heh. You sound like you know them pretty well."

"I was one of them," said Blake.

Sun's eyes widened, and he laughed a little, though it was clear he was doing it to clear the mood.

"So much for not telling me your story," he joked.

"It's just one chapter out of many," replied Blake. "But… it was an important chapter. Have you heard the news about the recent robbery?"

"That was just a few miles away from this town, wasn't it?"

Blake nodded.

"Yeah, it was. Police haven't confirmed anything yet, but I'm almost sure it was them. And, if they were, it makes most sense to bring the shipments here, to a port town."

Sun straightened up, eyes glinting slightly.

"Then you're saying, somewhere here right now, there's thousands of tons of Dust?"

"There's a bunch of abandoned warehouses. And they're all close to the docks. They'll be using one of them. We can't get ourselves any good press… but maybe we can at least stop more bad press. What do you think?"

Sun stared at her, his expression giving nothing away.

"You don't seem like the type to put yourself at risk for something like that. Not anymore, anyway. You left them, right? Why risk everything trying to stop them now?"

Blake hesitated slightly.

"Because… I let someone down recently. I should have stood up for her. But… I didn't. The one who did is a human. I guess… I just want to be able to look at her without being ashamed. Do at least something for our people, you know?"

She looked up at him, wondering if he would understand, and was greeted with a broad grin.

"That's one way of making up for a mistake, I guess. Who am I to take that chance away from you? Sure, I'll help. Anything that involves putting a bunch of holier-than-thou jerks in their place, I'm up for."

_Elsewhere._

Ruby and Yang were on their way back to the dorms. The day had taken a turn for the majorly weird after that sighting of Jaune with his sister. Weiss had gotten involved, and after a bit of an altercation, had gone off with him, leaving the two sisters by themselves.

"She's got a major waterfall going for him, she does," said Yang.

"Urghh… Yang, that's so gross!"

"Hey, facts are facts. Nothing wrong with se-"

Before she could complete what she was saying, however, she ran right into someone, in keeping with this chapter's theme of sudden meetings.

Said person was far denser than she expected, with the result that Yang also fell over backwards on her butt.

"Well, that was stupid," she muttered. Opening her eyes, she saw that the person she had collided with was lying on the ground, but perfectly conscious, and starting right at her. It was an unnerving sight, and the girl looked like she had, figuratively speaking, quite a few screws loose.

Getting up, she decided to cautiously test the waters.

"Umm… you okay?"

"Yes! I'm absolutely great!" said the girl in a voice that was far too cheerful given the situation.

"Er… okay, sure. You maybe… want to get up?"

The girl blinked, as if realizing something.

"Yes, I do!" she said enthusiastically. Turning over on to her back, she drew her legs back and kipped up to her feet.

"It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Penny!"

"I'm Ruby," said the younger sister, not sure what else to say.

"You didn't hit your head, did you?" asked Yang.

"Sis, that's super rude," whispered Ruby, quite audibly.

"Uh, sorry. I mean, I'm Yang."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" said Penny.

"You already said that."

"So I did," said the girl, not at all seeming put off by this revelation.

She was of a slight build, approximately the same height and physique as Ruby, and looked to be the same age too, in her mid-teens. Bright green eyes stood out vibrantly, as did her orange hair. There were slight freckles on her face. Overall, she looked rather adorable, all things put together.

There was just the fact that something about her expressions seemed slightly… off.

Before the conversation could proceed further, they were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps.

A fully armoured figure approached, and both sisters recognized the girl they had met mere moments ago.

"Ah, Penny. There you are. You have to stop running away like this," said Lily Arc. Her face bespoke tired resignation, as though she already knew the girl wasn't going to do as she asked.

"Lily! Sal-u-tations!" said the unusual girl brightly, clearly happy to see the new arrival.

"Yes, yes, I'm happy to see you too. I'd be a lot happier if you stopped making my job harder though," she said, walking over to her.

"Apologies! But upon arrival, I simply could not resist observing from close quarters the people and architecture of Vale. They are simply marvellous!"

The blond knight sighed slightly.

"If you want to see the sights, you just need to tell me, and I'll be more than happy to accompany you," she said.

"Noted!" said Penny, whose optimism seemed unbreakable.

The two sisters were starting to wonder if this was a good opportunity to slip away, when the knight turned her eyes upon them.

"Hey, I recognize you too! You were with that snow chick who's got a waterfall going for my brother."

Ruby groaned, while Yang silently performed a gesture of celebration ("called it").

She eyed them up and down.

"You two look to be Beacon students. Am I right?"

"That's right," said Ruby. "I'm Ruby Rose."

"And I'm Yang Xiao Long. You are…"

"Lily," she answered, making no mention of her surname. "Nice to meet you both. Hmm… you seem stronger than the average Academy students these days. Beacon must be pretty good…"

"It's only the best school in the kingdom," said Yang, never one to lose the opportunity for a quip.

Lily nodded, quite seriously.

"Exactly! I was worried the tournament was going to be boring with all these kids who fight like, well, kids. But if they're going to be like you, then it's going to be one heck of a fun battle!"

"You're participating?" said Ruby. Lily clearly looked like a warrior, and she was even carrying that massive hunk of a sword on her back. "What school are you from?"

"Atlas," said the knight. "I'm not the only one participating either."

She gestured to Penny.

"Indeed! I shall be taking part as well!" She raised a fist in the air triumphantly.

"Er…" Yang looked at Lily, silently asking if she was being serious.

The knight smirked slightly. She clapped Penny on the shoulder.

"Don't underestimate Penny! She's the pride of Atlas! Ain't nobody who can defeat her… well, except me, of course. But then, I'll be winning the tournament. Penny, you better bring your A-Game in the finals. We want to give the crowd a good show!"

"Roger that," said the girl, who, like the taller knight, seemed completely confident in her abilities.

"Oh… confident, huh?" Yang said, with a smirk of her own. "Hope you won't feel bad when I make you eat those words."

She'd be lying if she didn't feel like Lily reminded her of some kind of weird, distorted mirror image of her. And her confident declaration of a win had ignited her own fighting spirit.

"You'll be going out with a Yang, huh?" replied the armoured girl.

Pin drop silence followed the joke, until Penny spoke.

"Oh, I see. This is an example of the form of humour known as a 'pun', which relies on similar sounding words!"

Ruby looked at her sister, worried for her sanity. Yang had never been beaten to the punch on a bad joke before, but she had now. How would she take it?

Fortunately, she laughed loudly, breaking the tension. She nearly collapsed from her enjoyment, until finally, wiping away her tears, she looked at the stranger who was so much like her.

"I can't lie. Anyone with a sense of humour has my respect. How is it that a chick this cool has a brother with a stick so far up his ass?"

Lily's eye twitched subtly. The shift in her mood was almost imperceptible, and indeed, neither Ruby nor Yang had sensed it. The smile remained on her face, but it had turned cold. Penny, who had seen the Knight everyday since her birth, understood immediately, and turned to look at her.

When the knight spoke, her tone sounded almost the same, with just the barest hint of ice revealing the change.

"Yes, he certainly appears that way to others, doesn't he? Tell me… how is my brother doing anyway? What is he like at Beacon?"

Yang couldn't immediately reply. While she was looking to give her all in the tournament, and would do so regardless of the opponent, the fact was, the wildcard in the equation had temporarily slipped her mind.

_Jaune_.

Now she had been reminded. If it came to a fight with him, would she be able to win?

She spoke haltingly.

"He's… a good guy," she said finally. On this, she had no doubt. In hindsight, she could see that his reaction was only to be expected after how they had treated him. There was also no doubt he was a decent person. "A little hard to get along with… but he's got a pair of balls."

Lily's expression changed momentarily again.

"... I see. Is he any good in a fight?"

"You're kidding, right?" said Ruby, staring at her in near shock.

Lily narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you… didn't you guys train together?" asked the younger girl. "I mean, there's no way you don't know…"

"Know what?" asked Lily. She suspected she knew what they were going to say. After all, she had seen him moments ago, and he certainly had appeared strong. His body language, posture, tone, words and actions had been that of someone who could fight. But even so, she wanted to hear about it from those who had actually seen him in action.

"He… he's probably the best in our year," said Ruby. Unlike Yang, she was less hung up on her ego, and had no qualms about admitting that fact.

Lily's eyes widened slightly.

"As expected of your brother!" said Penny brightly. She didn't like it when her companion was in a bad mood. Thus, she tried a method she had heard of, indirectly cheering someone up by saying something they wanted to hear.

"... I see. That's interesting. Well, I now have two opponents I want to fight at the tournament. This has been a good day so far."

She turned to Penny.

"Pretty good day for you as well, huh?"

"Indeed, it was!"

"Well then, I think the two of us will take our leave for now. See you around."

With that, she turned to leave, steps sounding as always like hammerfalls. Penny waved and began to leave too.

"See ya!" said Ruby. It was a typical farewell, but it had much more meaning for girl than she could have ever foreseen.

Penny's eyes glittered for a moment.

"Yes, we will!"

With that, they left.

"Huh. Well that just happened, I guess," said Yang.

The two sisters returned to their dorm shortly. However, as the hours passed by, they got more and more worried when Blake did not return, and did not pick up their calls either.

_Present Time.  
Docks._

Blake and Sun observed the figures in white bone masks. As expected, they were moving cargo.

"There's quite a few of them," noted Sun.

"Who aren't expecting an attack," replied Blake.

Sun shook his head.

"You're letting your emotions control you. We go in there swinging, we'll be surrounded. We should call for help."

"No we can't!"

Sun looked taken aback at her vehemence.

"There isn't anyone I can call on. No one I can trust with this. I have to do this, now. And I'll do it alone if I have to."

Sun gritted his teeth. This was a spectacularly bad idea. But he had come this far, and he wouldn't just let her go in alone.

"Well, it was a good life," he said, offering a silent prayer. "Let's go."

Blake nodded.

The two of them approached, travelling by the rooftops, until they were as close as they could get to the warehouse without giving up higher ground.

They decided to watch a little longer, and saw that there was one man who was in charge.

He wore a white suit and bowler hat, and carried a cane.

"Move it, you mutts! We're on a time crunch here! Get them all loaded now!"

The boxes were being loaded onto a ship. This was where they were planning to leave shore.

"He's the one big fish, but he's not the biggest one," said Blake.

"Yeah," agreed Sun. "That would be _her_."

Several metres away from the cane carrying one, a girl sat on top of a container. She too was wearing a white suit, and appeared to be carrying, of all things, an umbrella.

"Well, this is it. Do or die."

_Beacon dorms.  
Fifteen minutes ago._

"Still unreachable on her Scroll," said Ruby. "This is pointless. We go out and look for her."

"But where? She could be literally anywhere. Without a lead, where do we start?" asked Yang.

_There is someone who can find us a lead, _thought Weiss.

Jaune had stated he could sense Auras. It was possible he would be able to track Blake. It was the only option they had available now.

"I know where we can start," she said aloud, surprising even herself.

The two others stared at her.

Put on the spot, she gulped and pressed on.

"Jaune can help us find her."

At the mention of him, both Ruby and Yang were momentarily surprised, but recovered quickly.

Yang's expression turned into one of bitter self-loathing.

"There's no way he'd help us now. Not after what we did to him…"

"No!"

Weiss' exclamation caused both their eyes to widen.

"He'll absolutely help. I know it! There's no way he wouldn't answer an honest request for help."

The complete faith in her eyes shook both the sisters. They had noticed this change come over Weiss since the moment she had first decided to stand by him after the fight in the Dining Hall. The arrogant, spoiled heiress would, at times, be replaced by an individual of conviction and action. They were seeing it now.

Weiss was a capable girl. And if she had that much faith in Jaune…

Yang's face gave.

"FINE! I DON'T GIVE A SHIT! JUST… TELL HIM TO HELP!"

She was panicking. Ruby could see it. It was like seeing into the past again. Into the eyes of a much younger Yang, who had desperately gone into the forest to look for a mother who wasn't coming back.

_That's right. Apart from Dad and Uncle Qrow… this is the only family we have._

They had barely known each other a few months. In that time, Yang, as always, had appeared the most uncaring out of all them. Ruby, of course, knew of her sister's underlying fear of losing people, and knew that this front was just a way to keep herself from getting too attached to others.

Ruby silently gripped her sister's hand, while looking at Weiss.

"Jaune will help, right? Then we need to talk to him, now."

Weiss nodded and opened the door. At this time, even he would be in his room. Walking across the hall, she knocked on the door of the dorm right opposite their own, which opened to reveal Ren.

_Great. Not the one I'm looking for, but definitely one of the easier ones to deal with._

Things were slightly uncomfortable between herself and Pyrrha, and Nora was hard to interact with even on the best of days.

"Is Jaune in?" asked Weiss, skipping the preamble.

If Ren was curious as to why she was asking, he did not show it. Instead, he simply nodded, and turning around, called into the dorm.

"There's someone here for you."

A second later, Jaune came up to the door, at which point Ren went inside to give them some space.

Seeing the blond Shinken sent a powerful sense of relief through Weiss. He had changed into his dorm clothes, but looked wide awake and far from tired.

"Blake is missing. She still isn't back, and we can't reach her on her Scroll," said Weiss, getting right to the matter at hand.

Immediately, without asking any questions that would push back the needed task, Jaune nodded. He understood that Weiss intended to go find her, and that the rest of Ruby would be coming too.

And they needed his help.

"Give me a moment. I'll be at your dorm."

Understanding, Weiss nodded and left, allowing Jaune to close the door after her. Not wasting any time, he began to change out of his casual wear and into his leather travelling clothes.

"... You aren't planning on going without us, are you?"

Ren was a few feet away, likewise changing into his own combat attire.

"Eavesdropping is a bad habit," said Jaune.

"So is going off solo when you have a team," replied Ren.

The two glared at each other a while.

Finally, Jaune sighed.

"Whatever's happening is probably not legal. Definitely not within school rules. RWBY is already involved, obviously. I don't want to get you guys in trouble too."

"This an Academy for Hunters, Jaune. We're in trouble by just being here. And you already know this. There's no need to be overly gentle with me. You don't trust us, do you?"

Jaune zipped up his leather vest and stared Ren in the eye. He had not expected him to be this confrontational, since he normally preferred adapting to the flow rather than going against it.

"No, I don't," answered the Shinken. He was certainly not afraid of stating his true feelings.

"Then there's something wrong here. A team can't function without trust."

"Now is not the time, Ren. And that ship sailed."

"No, it hasn't! If we don't have your trust… then we'll earn it."

Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so? You'll earn my trust by risking expulsion? What are you even here at this school for, Ren? Doesn't graduation mean anything to you?"

"You haven't earned the answer to that one," replied Ren calmly.

The two glared at each other a moment longer.

Well, they're warriors. If they want to go in of their own free will, I have no reason to stop them.

"Fine. So you'll come. But you don't speak for everyone."

Ren smiled slightly.

"I never said anything about Pyrrha or Nora coming along."

For the first time since coming to Beacon, Jaune found himself grinning at Ren.

He nodded, and the two of them left quickly before the girls returned to the dorm. Jaune knocked on RWBY's door, which opened immediately. Looks of surprise emanated at seeing Ren with him, but Jaune placated them.

"He's coming along. Don't turn down willing help."

Weiss nodded.

"We need to find her, now! Can you… can you do that?"

She looked at Jaune with hope. Hoping that once more, his unheard-of powers and skills would perform a miracle.

Jaune nodded. "Come, we must move out."

Without further ado, they all left the dorms, via RWBY's window.

Jumping over the walls, they dashed into town at full speed, at which point they switched to travelling from rooftop to rooftop.

"There is a possibility she might leave town one way or another by unregistered ship. The docks are the first place to cross off the list."

By stretching out his sense, Jaune could locate an Aura in a 2 kilometre radius from himself. If Blake wasn't at the docks, his plan was to start moving faster, and quickly cover the entire town.

However, this wasn't required, as she happened to be at the docks.

As they moved, Jaune sensed a familiar Aura from that direction.

"Found her! She's at the docks!"

They picked up the speed, arriving at the warehouses in minutes.

Their arrival couldn't have been more timely.

Jaune caught sight of Blake just as she was leaping off the building she had been on… towards a man carrying a cane. All around were several individuals in black clothes and white bone masks. They hadn't noticed Blake's presence, but would do so as soon as she landed, and attack her at once. There was a blond Faunus with a tail as well, who seemed… to be going into battle with Blake.

Right as she was three feet away from landing blade-first on the bowler-hat wearing man, he sensed her presence, and leapt backwards, causing her to land instead on the ground.

"Oh, come on! Annoyance after annoyance!" shouted the man, brandishing his cane. "Well? Don't just stand there! Get them!"

All around Blake, guns came up, fully automatic, close to fifty of them, all of them aimed at her and Sun. They wouldn't be able to deflect or dodge that much firepower.

"JAUNE, YOU GOTTA HELP HER!" shouted Yang.

The air around the Shinken was blasted away as he accelerated. His Aura flared, his breathing deepened, as his body surpassed the barrier that separated human from superhuman.

Landing thunderously with an impact that shook the ground, he stood next to Blake and Sun.  
All eyes took in the new arrival, staring at him as if he were an apparition.

Though there were fifty armed warriors with their guns aimed at him, though he did not appear to be carrying any weapons, every single White Fang member felt a cold chill run down their spine.

When Jaune spoke, his words were not a threat. They carried the absolute authority of truth.

"If you shoot, you'll die."

Blake knew he wasn't exaggerating the moment he uttered those words. There was power in Jaune, untold power, and she had seen it firsthand. If he had been intimidating back when he was beating down bullies, he was downright terrifying at the moment, and she felt a very real fear that every White Fang member here would die.

She couldn't allow that. She had come there to stop them, not kill them.

People could change. She had. She'd been lucky enough to have a chance to turn her life around. And she couldn't allow others to have that chance taken away from them.

Thus, she uttered a fervent plea to Jaune.

"Don't kill them!"

He turned slightly, fixing his gaze upon her. Those were eyes that had seen death, and dealt it unto others. Blake shook slightly, but held firm. She couldn't let them die.

_"Please."_

The man in the bowler hat clenched his teeth.

"I've had about enough of this. Shoot. Them. DOWN!"

He roared the last word, and they opened fire, many of them pulling the trigger even before they knew what they were doing.

Blake closed her eyes. Round upon round was fired, the hammering of automatic weapons filling the air along with smoke and the smell of gunpowder.

The young Faunus Huntress closed her eyes, holding up her arms around her head as she crouched, covering up instinctively. Though she had faced and deflected gunfire before, in this volume, it was completely different. The sheer sound alone pounded away at her, terrifying her.

For what felt like an eternity, the shots continued.

Finally, when all the clips were empty, they stopped.

_I don't… feel any pain…_

Cautiously, Blake opened her eyes and looked up, fearing they would start shooting again.

What she saw was beyond anything she could have expected.

The attackers were backing away in fear.

Piled up, all around herself, Sun and Jaune, were countless bullets, on the ground.

Smoke rose from Jaune's arms and legs, which didn't have even a dent in them.

No way….

Jaune stood in a low stance, legs wide, arms raised high and open, hands claw-like.

The ringleader of the group seemed to share Blake's sentiments.

His eyes looked fit to pop out of their sockets.

"No, no, no. That's just… just frigging impossible! There must have been over a hundred thousand shots fired. That's Atlas technology! Those guns have shredded Deathstalker armour! There's no way a human can be unharmed by them."

He looked at Jaune, whose face was impassive.

"YOU HEAR ME? THERE'S NO WAY! You… you aren't human!"

**_"Hokuto Muteki Boei."_**

_**North Star Invincible Defence: A state in which the user allows their instincts to take over, blocking and parrying as needed to deflect all attacks.**_

Jaune hadn't just taken all those shots. He had perfectly blocked every last bullet, while moving around Blake and Sun in a 360 degree arc to prevent them from getting hit even once.

The sheer relief Blake felt was incomparable to anything she had experienced before.

She knew she was going to all right now.

Jaune couldn't lose.

The Shinken stood tall and looked at her.

"You have nobility. To think of the lives of those who would shoot you down, because you understand where they are coming from… the world needs people like you, who will eradicate the problem at the root, and ensure no child ever needs to pick up a gun again. Rejoice, Blake. You just saved the lives of fifty men."

"Stop… STOP BLUFFING!"

The white-suited man seemed absolutely livid now. He pointed his cane at Jaune.

"Don't fall for his lies. We have a job to do here! Remember what you're fighting for, damn it! Take them all out!"

"Yeah, that's not going to happen."

What felt like a small meteorite landed, and several people were blown away. The smoke cleared from the crater, and Yang Xiao Long stood up straight, eyes glowing red. Using her Semblance without storing up power from damage taken caused her to drain her own Aura.

But she was royally pissed, and this once, she'd make an exception.

She looked at Jaune.

"You saved my partner's life. Thank you."

"You saved her life yourself," replied Jaune. "You looked past your ego to ask for help when she was in danger. It shows how much you treasure her. From now on, you must always stay by her side."

"Damn straight."

With a series of clicks, Yang ejected the shells from Ember Cilica.

"Blake said not to kill you guys, so I won't. I'll settle for beating you to an inch of your lives."

Her Aura flared, and she burst into movement, dashing in right into the thick of the White Fang operatives before they could react. It was like seeing a wild animal uncaged… one that knew how to fight.

Punch after punch she delivered. Liver shots, hooks, uppercuts, straights. Kick after kick. Roundhouses, thrust kicks, knee strikes. Her Aura was like an armour; enemy blows and weapons glanced off her without even making her flinch, all while her own hits brutally crunched bones.

_Interesting._

Watching her caused Jaune's own fighting spirit to flare up. He resolved to spar with her one day.

"Well, then."

He began to walk towards the leader of the little group.

"Blake said nothing about sparing you. And I have little patience for those who would ask an opponent to be gunned down by superior numbers."

"Damn you… you think you've won? It's not over… until I say it is!"

He raised his cane high, and the warehouse they were outside was smashed to smithereens as a massive structure rose out of it.

It was made of metal, sleek body designed to look almost insectoid as its hydraulic legs carried it forwards.

Roman Torchwick, as the man was called, jumped as it came closer, climbing up one of its legs. A cockpit in its head opened up, and he entered.

"Neo! Get in!"

The girl with the umbrella, who had so far done nothing, complied and jumped up as well, entering the mech with him before the cockpit closed shut.

The mech's eyes glowed red as it advanced towards Jaune.

"Gunfire is one thing," said a voice on a loudspeaker, "Let's see you deal with this!"

The mech raised one leg above Jaune and brought it down with all the force its hydraulics and weight would allow.

Roman felt the blow connect solidly, but felt no satisfaction.

He had been expecting the feeling of something mushy being squashed. Like something caving in, similar to stepping on a cardboard box.

Instead, the mech's leg had stopped completely in its motion.

It was like trying to crush a rock.

"No… way…" muttered Torchwick. He had a horrible feeling, but he refused to believe it was right. Turning on the mech's lower cameras, he saw that it was.

Jaune had not only stopped the leg, but was effortlessly holding it up with one arm, that arm showing no signs of giving way even an inch.

"But this is… close to two thousand tons of steel… there's no way…"

The muscles in Jaune's arm bunched for a moment, his body tensing up, before he pushed upwards explosively, causing the four-legged mech to be pushed backwards, nearly toppling.

"Hokuto Shinken is not just technique. It is the strength of the human body, mind and spirit. You don't measure up."

He took a low stance, crouching, nearly seeming to hug himself. In truth, he was winding up. When he had built up enough tension, he leapt into the air, drawing one arm back as he tightened its open hand, preparing to strike with its edge.

_**"Hokuto Ganzan Ryozan Ha!"**_

_**North Star Mountain Splitting Wave: A powerful downward chop said to have enough power to live up to its name.**_

Roman Torchwick saw the blow coming, and in that instant, he knew the mech could not withstand it.

"Oh shi-"

Jaune landed on the ground, having completed the strike's entire range of motion. Along the way, his hand had bifurcated the mech's head and torso down its centre line.

Whether by luck or because of deliberate effort, it was impossible to tell, but the strike had not hit either Roman or Neo.

The separated halves of the mech collapsed to the ground, not even exploding, since Jaune had avoided the fuel tank.

Torchwick hurtled out of the destroyed warmachine, rolling roughly across the ground.

He slowly got to his hands and knees.

_Insane… there's no way he's human. He's some kind of monster. I can't fight that… there's no way… Forget Cinder. Forget her. I need to get out of here, with Neo._

_Neo!_

_Damn it…_

Ignoring his body's protests, he raised himself up and ran towards the wreckage of the Atlesian Paladin.

"Neo!"

A slight grunt was his only answer.

Neo had not emerged as unscathed as him. She was bleeding from the mouth, clutching her side.

"NEO!"

He rushed over to her, slinging one of her arms over his shoulder to support her. He attempted to stand up straighter, but felt her legs buckle, and immediately bent to support her.

"Damn it! Your ribs are broken, aren't they?"

_Damn it. Damn it all! The strike didn't even connect and our Auras are still gone! What the hell kind of demon can do something like that?_

As if to answer his questions, he heard footsteps approaching him, filling him with dread.

Jaune walked around him to his front, facing Torchwick. He paused when he saw how the man was supporting the younger woman, and frowned, as if he had never seen anything like that in his life.

_Damn it. He's going to finish us off, isn't he? This boy… he isn't one of those Atlesian mooks… he can kill. I see it in his eyes. But, I can't let it end. Not like this._

Roman was almost certain he would die here. But if that was to happen, there was one last thing he needed to do.

He lowered Neo to the ground gently. The girl, who never spoke, and who Roman was still able to understand fine, expressed herself with her eyes, which showed such an extraordinary feeling of hurt that his determination nearly broke. But he pressed on. He had to.

Once she was on the ground, he limped to the side till he was standing in front of her, between her and Jaune.

"Please… kill me. But spare her. She has nothing to do with this. She's just a child that follows me around because she has nowhere to go."

Jaune's eyes widened.

In that moment, he saw in Roman the countless ordinary people he had encountered in his travels, who had been willing to sacrifice themselves for their families.

Family.

He had seen mothers and fathers stand protectively in front of their children like that.

If Roman was protecting Neo… then what did that make Jaune?

"I don't understand…" he said.

"What?" said Roman.

"Why… why would you knowingly drag someone you care about into a life like this…"

The absurdity of the situation had finally come to a head.

A former criminal mastermind, who had found himself become a pawn in the games of some insane woman, out on some dead-end mission with the White Fang of all people, had run into some inhumanly powerful killer who annihilated Atlas tech with his bare hands. And what was more, this boy with the eyes of a man was actually asking him why he had brought Neo into this life.

Roman started to laugh.

"You think I had a choice? You think she had a choice? It's easy for the people who are born in the right places. The rest of us? We're criminals for just existing! And so… we do what it takes to survive. If the world condemns us just for being… well then… I condemn a world like that."

Jaune shook his head.

None of this made any sense.

Moments earlier, this man had been about to have three people gunned down, like a coward.

And now, he was protecting this girl with his life?

This… went against his experiences. It went against everything he had learnt. Against everything he had seen.

A cold-blooded, cowardly murderer and criminal was standing right in front of him, facing death with courage. At this moment, Jaune's heart could not find a single flaw in Roman's conviction.

Jaune could not strike him down.

With his heart as his only guide, he could not deliver a blow against someone capable of this act.

"If I let you live," said Jaune, barely muttering now, feverishly, "You'll come back again. How many lives will be lost then?"

Roman shook his head. He recognized someone at the breaking point when he saw him. Jaune was about to snap, and when he did, there was no telling what he might do.

"Look, I already told you. Kill me. Just let her go. Please. This is the only thing I ask of you."

Neo attempted to rise from the ground, though her body protested. Unable to stand up on her own, she tried grabbing onto Roman's legs to pull herself up. She couldn't allow him to sacrifice himself for her. If she had been able to speak, she would have done so.

To say that she was with him of her own free will.

To say that if he wanted to kill him, he'd have to go through her first.

Jaune saw it.

The unspoken cry of her heart, which could not find voice in her tongue, did so in her eyes, and Jaune felt it.

It would be right to kill a man who had just tried to have three people gunned down for attempting to stop his robbery.

It would be wrong to leave a girl without her father.

Wrong to kill someone who could sacrifice himself thus for someone he cared about.

Jaune was stuck.

His invincible fighting power was driven and focused by his heart, which had always known the path he must take.

Until now.

Now, everything he had known to be firm and immutable had been thrown into disarray.

He shook his head.

_No. I am the Successor. Wrong or right, my heart must choose, and I must live by my choices._

He reached out towards Roman, who closed his eyes, prepared to die.

When suddenly, he felt his Aura revive, and his body start to heal itself.

"What the…"

He saw Jaune reach out and touch Neo's forehead. Almost immediately, the cuts on her face healed up, and she got to her feet.

"You can restore Auras… who are you?"

"It doesn't matter. Get out of here. Leave this life behind. Not every foe you meet will be this kind."

Roman didn't need to be told twice. Grabbing Neo's hand, he began to leave, but turned once.

"Thank you," he said, sincerely.

Neo nodded, her eyes conveying the same feeling.

With that, the two of them ran.

Jaune exhaled.

This night… had challenged him.

Turning around, he saw that Weiss, Yang and the others were just about finishing rounding up the White Fang operatives.

"Family, huh?"

Jaune had been an Arc, once. He had stopped being one when he had left.

_Kenshiro was my father_, he said in his mind with conviction.

He looked at Ren. The boy had risked expulsion, as he had said. To come here and fight by Jaune's side. Oftentimes, it is hard to go against expectations. To force oneself to act. His team had not been by his side during the time of the rumours. But they were trying to make it up to him now.

_People can change. And who am I to deny them that chance? Passing judgment from on high. No… that can't be my way. I'm no better than anyone else._

He looked at Blake. The Faunus had not supported Jaune, though he had stood up for Velvet, another Faunus. She had been afraid. But she had faced those fears tonight. Asked him to spare lives.

He looked at Yang. The girl had appeared uncaring and rude. But she had been willing to put aside her pride if it meant that someone she cared about could be saved.

He was sure Ruby would surpass his expectations too.

Even Cardin had done so.

What was to say that the rest of his team would not do so as well?

How quickly life ended. Would his team too have surprised him by one day trying to sacrifice themselves for him?

He couldn't let that happen.

And finally, he looked at Weiss.

The girl who had gone against her own hesitation and weakness, and stood by his side. Made an effort to right her wrongs. And the one person at Beacon he trusted above all others.

_Family, huh? I'm no Arc._

_And… RWBY, JNPR, CRDL… we're not family yet. But maybe we will be. And for that, I'm willing to fight._

_I am Jaune Souther, of Hokuto Shinken. I am Jaune Souther… of Beacon._

**Post Credit Scene**

Roman and Neo had managed to gain some distance from the warehouse.

"That's the last of it, Neo. We're taking his advice. No more demonic, Grimm, White Fang nonsense. We've got plenty of money already. Gonna drop off the grid and settle down somewhere."

Neo nodded fervently.

"That sounds like a nice dream."

Before either of them could react, a blade sprouted from Roman's chest. His eyes went wide and his mouth opened, but no cry escaped it. And then… the light in his eyes left.

Neo felt her world crumble around her.

She watched Roman's body hit the ground, lifeless.

Over him stood a figure clad from head to foot in armour. Red eyes glowed from within the slit of the helm, and the person inside spoke.

"Heh. That's gotta suck. Taken out right when you thought you were home free."

A gigantic sword was glinted, held effortlessly in one hand by the armoured knight.

Neo felt fury burn in her like never before, destroying every last shred of reason in her. Abandoning all restraint, she launched herself at the enemy who had torn down the only person in the world she had cared about.

Neo was a formidable fighter. Her style relied on baiting an opponent's attacks, drawing them in and misdirecting their moves, then countering. It relied on remaining calm, while upsetting the enemy.

In her anger, she had abandoned this aspect of her style.

"Fool," said Lily Arc.

As Neo dashed in, she slid one foot back, bracing herself as she drew back her sword, the Dragonslayer Mark II.

When she was in range, she swung.

It moved far too quick for a weapon of that size. Even if Neo had been calm and on the defensive, she might not have been able to avoid it. But as she was at the moment, she had no chance of doing so.

The blade struck, ending her life in a single slash.

"Well. At least it was painless, right?"

Lily swung the blade, hard, throwing the blood off it, before slinging it on her back again.

"Atlas command, come in."

"Did you do it?"

"Affirmative. Targets eliminated."

Bending down, she picked up their Scrolls.

"And I think I might have obtained some intel too."

"Good work. Return to base. Penny's getting restless again."

"As you wish, General Ironwood."


	14. Character Stats

Author's note: There's a chance you missed the previous update, since it took place just moments ago. If so, definitely check it out! It's the final chapter for Season 1.

That being said, this is a little post season bonus. 

Over 800 follows and 1000 favourites in around a month. Holy frigging shit. Thank you all. I'll be honest, I was uncertain if this little idea of mine would ever be successful, but you've put my doubts to rest. You've reawakened my own love for Fist of the North Star, and brought hype to this fanfic. Therefore, my job as the author… is to take this story, and make it even better.

Do you realize that the canon lore of Remnant does not apply in this fic? Almost anything can happen. On that note, it's almost certain that Jotaro and Alucard will show up in season 2. And as I've said before, Jaune needs strong rivals...

There's also a bunch of extra content that I'm adding in this chapter, to get an idea of the power scaling and mechanics I'm going for here, as well as an explanation of the techniques Jaune has shown so far. Also, Jaune does have a Semblance, and no, it's not exactly the one revealed in canon. I'm also having to alter a bunch of the others' powers, to give them concrete functions and mechanics that I can write properly (and also adding stuff to make it more interesting for myself).

Fighter Stats:

Ruby Rose

Speed: S  
Strength: C  
Technique: B

Weapon: Crescent Rose (Scythe/Sniper Rifle shifter)  
Attack Power (melee): B  
Attack Power (range): B  
Creativity: A

Semblance: Altered State.  
Rating: A  
This Semblance temporarily alters the molecular arrangement of Ruby's body, transforming her into a stream-like state that allows her to move at superhuman speed often exceeding the sound barrier. This is more useful for mid-range movements, since the Semblance takes a fraction of a second to start up. Thus, things like dodging punches are more easily done normally, unless the Semblance is already active. Aside from speed, the state of Ruby's body in this form has other benefits, such as being able to phase through certain forms of matter. Oh, and it also creates a rose petal stream, so added points for aesthetics.

Magic: Silver Eyes  
Rating:?  
Function:?  
Little is known about these so-called Silver Eyes, except that they make Ruby look adorable. However, it is implied that they hide incredible might...

Yang Xiao Long

Speed: B  
Strength: A-  
Technique: B

Weapon: Ember Cilica (Shotgun gauntlets, because why not?)  
Attack Power (melee): A  
Attack Power (range): D  
Creativity: C

Semblance: Rage Mode.  
Rating: A+  
True to her brawler nature, Yang's ability is as straightforward as is she is. It allows her to absorb and store the energy of attacks directed against her, converting heat, kinetic and other forms of energy into a form of Aura separate from her shield. At any moment, she can start using this power. By doing so, her base physical stats get a boost of one rank, allowing her to temporarily fight at a higher level than normal. She can also utilize, true to fighting games, a Rage Art, which releases all the energy she has absorbed at once in a single all or nothing attack. Yang's Semblance has no actual hard limits: its power varies on the opponent's power. However, Yang's own durability is limited, and she can be knocked out before, after or even during her Semblance's active state.

Blake Belladonna

Speed: B+  
Strength: C  
Technique: C

Weapon: Gambol Shroud (Pistol/ Cleaver/ Katana/ Chain Blade hybrid)  
Attack Power (melee): C  
Attack Power (range): C  
Creativity: B

Semblance: Shadow Clones  
Rating: B  
Oftentimes, ratings and stats cannot truly reflect the battle effectiveness of a fighter or their abilities. What Blake lies in direct combat strength or damage output, she makes up for by being an extremely tricky opponent. Using Shadow Clones drains her Aura, but does not require her to consciously control the Clone formed, which has a "mind" of its own, and additionally has complete loyalty to Blake, as well as understanding of her intended tactics. The result is essentially the ability to temporarily double, triple or even quadruple her fighting power through numbers, though the actual increase is far greater due to the additional tactics available with more bodies. She can also use the Clones as a last moment substitution, having one take a potentially fatal blow for her.

Weiss Schnee  
  
Speed: A  
Strength: C-  
Technique:B

Weapon: Myrtenaster (Modified Rapier with Dust channelling functions)  
Attack Power (melee): C  
Attack Power (range): B+

Semblance: Thaumaturgy  
Rating: S  
Simultaneously one of the most challenging/complex Semblances to use, and one of the most versatile and powerful. She most often uses it to summon Glyphs, which each have the effect of modifying some aspect of the physical world, such as gravity, temperature, molecular bonds, applying a force etc. However, there is much more she can do. Essentially, Thaumaturgy allows her to project her Aura, shaped by her mind, on the external world, to create a construct. These constructs may include autonomous beings as well, who may be humanoid or otherwise. The strength of the construct is influenced by her mental image of the being she is projecting. While Thaumaturgy is also her mother and sister's Semblance, there is a general consensus that none of the three have yet unlocked the full potential of this ability.

Pyrrha Nikos  
  
Speed: A  
Strength: A-  
Technique: A

Weapon: Milo and Akouo (Sword/Spear/Rifle hybrid, Shield)  
Attack Power (melee): B+  
Attack Power (range): C+  
Creativity: A

Semblance: Polarity  
Rating: A+  
The ability to use magnetism to control metals sounds versatile and potent at first, but what truly make this power devastating is a combination of its strength and control. Pyrrha is able to move thousands of tons with ease, and it is believed that the hard limits of how much force she can apply are unknown. She is also able to control metal with fine precision, making movements as small as millimetres with complete accuracy, and manipulating objects to move in complex paths. Whether it's controlling her own armour to boost it against damage or increase the power of her own attacks, or subtly throwing off the moves of her opponents, or simply overpowering them completely, the four-time champion is not to be taken lightly.

Nora Valkyrie:

Speed: B

Strength: A-  
Technique: C

Weapon: Magnhild (Great Hammer/ Grenade Launcher hybrid)  
Attack Power (melee): A  
Attack Power (range): A  
Creativity: B

Semblance: Feel the Electricity  
Rating: S  
This is essentially Yang's Semblance, but without any of the drawbacks. Nora's body is immune to damage from electricity, and instead is able to use it to power her muscles, boosting her strength to enormous levels. The potential force output of this Semblance is limitless, so fighting Nora in a lightning storm… is a pretty bad idea. Combined with her reckless, go-ahead attitude, her power would normally make her the heavy hitter on any team… except JNPR.

Lie Ren:   
  
Speed: B+  
Strength: C  
Technique: A

Weapon: Stormflower (Dual Submachine Gun/ Dagger hybrids), Father's Dagger  
Attack Power (melee): C+  
Attack Power (range): C+  
Creativity: B

Semblance: Embraced in Grey  
Rating: A  
While it doesn't seem like a Semblance with any combat utility at first, this is in truth one of the most dependable abilities of any student at Beacon. Embraced in Grey allows Ren to subdue his emotions and stay in control of his own actions. It is essentially the anti-panic button… allowing him to remain stone cold in clutch situations. This makes Ren one of the very few warriors who are as powerful when they're at death's door with every odd against them, as they are with everything in favour of victory. What makes this Semblance even more powerful is the fact that Ren can project it, calming down others in his range. This also causes Auras to stop spiking, increasing their focus. And of course, preventing negativity also means this is an excellent ability to hide from Grimm, or sometimes completely make them lose motivation to attack.

Jaune Souther:  
  
Speed: S  
Strength: S  
Technique: S

Weapon: His Body (Fists, Elbows, Knees, Fingers, Feet… there's nothing on Jaune that isn't a weapon)  
Attack Power (melee): S  
Attack Power (range): A+  
Creativity: S

Fighting Style: Hokuto Shinken (literally Big Dipper God Fist)  
The 2000 year old Hokuto Shinken was created at the outset of the new era, drawing upon the arts that preceded it: Pancration, Kung fu, Karate, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu and many others. Assimilating the movements and principles of styles from around the world, it studied the 708 Keiraku Hiko (Hidden Points) on the human body, each of which have physiological effects when appropriately stimulated. These effects can range from healing, to immense pain, to near-instant death.

In addition to its own techniques, Hokuto Shinken practitioners are constantly learning those of others, and evolving new ones.

Special Techniques Jaune has revealed so far:

Futae no Kiwami: A move learnt from the warrior monk Anji. This consists of two strikes. An initial hit to weaken the target, and a second one to destroy it in its weakened state.

Shinzo Hakai Ken: A move that strikes directly at the heart of the enemy, destroying the cardiac muscles, causing almost instant death. This is Jaune's own technique, and kills the opponent before they can even feel pain.

Nanto Hakuro Ken: A style that specializes in using kicks. The moves are so fast that the air pressure caused by them can slice through flesh.

Semblance: ?  
Rating:?

As much as Jaune rejects his Arc bloodline, its power still flows through him. Can anyone even predict what the union of Arc Aura and Hokuto skill can create? Each Arc has a unique ability, and historically, they have all been capable of turning the tide of battle…

Secret Technique:?  
Rating:?

The ultimate power born from Jaune's blood, sweat and tears. Will every last ounce of his soul suffice to do what must be done?

Lily Arc

Strength: S  
Speed: S  
Technique: S

Weapon: Dragonslayer Mark II (Greatsword based off the original Dragonslayer wielded by the legendary Black Swordsman), Berserker Armour Reborn (Arcane Armour modified with modern tech)  
Attack Power (melee): S  
Attack Power (range): ?  
Creativity: S

Semblance:?  
Rating:?

The peerless flower of the Arc bloodline, the Wandering Blade of the Wilds, Lily Arc is the only known disciple of the legendary Black Swordsman, Guts. Possessing superhuman strength and durability surpassing even the mightiest Grimm, it's hard to tell who the monster is: the creatures of darkness, or her? Certainly, her motives are unknown. For a warrior of such brutality, she can be cunning, able to rile up the anger in even a saint.

What will be the result of the sibling clash?

Only time will tell…

Kenshiro:

Speed: S++  
Strength S++  
Technique: S+++

Weapon: … (really?)  
Attack Power (melee): S+++  
Attack Power (range): S+++

A true master of Hokuto Shinken, Kenshiro is widely acknowledged as one of, if not the, greatest Successor in its 2000 year history. His physical power, mastery of techniques, skill and effectiveness in battle, and unshakeable ideals and heart made him a hero of the people. Kenshiro was instrumental in ending the Civil War that threatened to end Faunus and humans. He continued to travel the wilds until the end, living and fighting as the protector of the folks who were ignored, those who were just numbers on the kingdoms' papers.

Semblance:?  
Rating:?

Secret: Musou Tensei  
The ultimate technique of Hokuto Shinken, which renders the user one with the void, making them intangible. It also connects them to the spirit world, allowing them to call upon the techniques, heart and will of those who mean a lot to the user. Kenshiro was able to use it to call upon the skills of opponents he had defeated. 


	15. A New Dawn

**Author's Note: We. Are. BACK! Season 2 is going to be lit. MORE muscles. MORE Hokuto Shinken. MORE manliness. MORE fights. MORE drama. And of course, this season will feature a few special guests…**

**Without any further ado… let's get this show on the road!**

**Season 1 Chapter 1: A New Dawn**

"Vytal Festival Tournament Ball?"

"That is correct, Mr Souther."

"Be honest, Ozpin. You picked every fancy word you could, and stuck it into one name, didn't you?"

Ozpin took a sip of coffee, choosing to answer that question with what he hoped was a dignified silence. Jaune gave him a moment to recover. He had already spent a semester at Beacon, and over the course of it, he had gotten used to the headmaster's rhythm.

Sure enough, Ozpin continued as if he had never been interrupted.

"I am sure you are wondering why I am telling you about it personally."

"There is something that needs doing, isn't there?"

"Correct as always, Mr Souther. You have been here a while, and in that time, defended the students well. You have earned some trust, and I think it is about time you meet certain people."

Jaune sensed three different Auras approaching the office, ascending towards it by the elevator. He recognized two of them. Glynda Goodwitch, Ozpin's companion and assistant. And another, which made him clench his teeth in irritation.

_Lily Arc._

Following the initial meeting at the docks, he had not run into his twin sister again, and he certainly wasn't sad about it. The reunion had reminded how gifted she was at annoying him, and how incredibly unlikable she could be whenever she wanted, which was most of the time. Regardless, she was in town for the Vytal Festival, and certainly looked the part of a warrior. It wouldn't be surprising if she was involved with the hidden council that guided the Hunters: after all, as a child, she had been evaluated by the Arc family head to be the most gifted of the eight siblings.

_Well, there's no choice. I guess I'll have to endure her presence. _

Aside from the two Jaune already knew, there was a third Aura as well. This belonged to a stranger. But it felt strong, if slightly rigid. In a way, it was like a mountain: an immovable spirit that stayed firm, not allowing others to sway it.

_Rigid, then. Adaptability is strength. Stubbornness can be a weakness. _

Soon enough, the elevator doors opened, and the three stepped into the office.

It was then that Jaune got his first look at this stranger.

He was rather tall, able to look Jaune in the eye without turning up, and had a formidable silhouette. He was clothed in a white coat and trousers that the Shinken recognized as Atlas military attire. Judging by its distinct appearance, designed to stand apart from rank and file soldiers, he was a high ranking officer. His stern face and air of authority further enforced this analysis as correct. Put together with the fact that he was here in Ozpin's office, and that the headmaster wanted Jaune to meet him, the young warrior was certain who this man must be.

He was proven right when Ozpin himself decided to do the introduction.

"Welcome, James. The journey presented no difficulties, I hope?"

"It was fine," the man answered, to the point.

"I see. Well, now that you are here, we can begin."

The man, evidently named James, eyed Jaune curiously, and pointedly looked at Ozpin, waiting for an explanation as to his presence.

"James, this is Jaune Souther, a first year student at this Academy. For certain reasons, I have decided to include him in the discussion we are about to have."

"Is that so?" The military man's voice was guarded, and sharp eyes examined Jaune. His gaze felt as if he was trying to dig into him and unearth every secret: cold, observant, analytical. Jaune met it head-on, completely unfazed. In turn, he made his observations about the man.

_His right side is prosthetic…_

The man's control over the artificial parts of his body was excellent, but no matter how good it was, metal and synthetic substances lack the fluidity and natural small movements that characterize organic flesh.

He was also carrying a revolver holstered to his belt.

Overall, his movements and bearing suggested experience and skill in hand-to-hand conflict. His steadiness indicated he was a good marksman as well.

Noting that Jaune wasn't the least bit uncomfortable at his examination, the man relaxed a little. His eyes expressed surprise now, though he was concealing the bulk of that reaction.  
He was curious: Jaune's physique, body language and eyes marked him out as being a rare melee fighter. The Atlesian military man could not determine the limits of this boy's abilities. Normally, that would have immediately made him classify the individual as a threat. However, a lifetime in the military had taught him to spot those with violent or criminal intentions. Jaune had neither: he was completely relaxed despite being ready to move immediately if needed. Yet, the lack of tension in his body, and the steadiness of his eyes proved that he wasn't nervous in the least. In other words, he wasn't afraid of being "found out", which is the typical tell of a criminal.

Ozpin nodded.

"James, do you remember an individual by the name of Kenshiro?"

The man's eyes widened.

"The Man with Seven Scars… you don't mean…"

"Indeed. Jaune is his true disciple. The Successor to Hokuto Shinken."

He now regarded the young fighter with a newfound respect and awe.

Like all who were intimately connected with events of significance in Remnant, James was aware of Kenshiro, and had seen evidence of Hokuto Shinken's enormous power. It was a power he would have done much to possess. But that was impossible: the art was passed from Master to Disciple, and could not be stolen. Furthermore, the practitioners of the Assassin's Art had proved unshakeable in their convictions. Kenshiro had refused Ozpin's requests to join their cause. Twice.

But now, his disciple was here.

This Jaune lad, who appeared to be strong. If he did indeed possess the power of the Divine Fist, and had been acknowledged as an ally by Ozpin… then they had at last acquired a weapon that could make the decisive difference.

Ozpin turned to the weapon in question.

"Jaune, this is James Ironwood. General of Atlas military, and headmaster of Atlas Academy."

The man now identified as General Ironwood nodded at Jaune, and the Shinken returned the gesture.

"Well, if a general himself is here, then this must be important," said Jaune. "Are you really sure you can trust me with that sort of information, Ozpin?"

Ironwood tensed up slightly, but the wizard chuckled. Evidently, this sort of banter was common between the two of them. The general was reminded for a moment of a certain perpetually drunk Hunter, and his mood darkened.

"I think I can," said Ozpin.

Jaune nodded.

"Fine. Let's get on with it then."

_Well, at least he is focused on the important thing_, Ironwood thought.

Which reminded him, he had yet to introduce his special agent.

"Ozpin. This is Specialist Lily Arc. She is not only a prized member of my army, but also the top student at Atlas Academy. I thought it might be a useful experience for all concerned if she were to take part in the tournament."

The armoured knight stepped forward, slight smile on her face, and nodded at Ozpin.

"I have heard much about you from James. Certainly, you live up to his words, and I hope to see you continue to do so."

"I'll try my best," she said.

She turned to Jaune, and their eyes met.

Jaune's were focused, observing. He knew his sister always had a card to play.  
Lily's were sly, glimmering with mischief. The look in them told Jaune she was in a position to make things difficult for him.

Jaune, of course, knew what she must be referring to.

She was aware of his true identity as an Arc.

Ozpin had introduced him as Jaune Souther. Evidently, he had not told Ironwood about him before, and had certainly not told him his origin. Revealing it now would not only create an uncomfortable scene, it would also put the trust between the two headmasters in a precarious position.

Jaune glared at her, warning her against what she no doubt wanted to do.

"I have a lot of incentive to perform well," she continued, giving no sign of being bothered by her brother. She pointedly looked at him.

"After all, with someone like the _Shinken_ here, I can't afford to fall behind, now can I?"

The emphasis on Jaune's nature was not lost on him. She had not known what he was when they had met at the docks. But she knew now, and knew what it meant.

For now, she had decided to not out the secret. But she could do it at any time. She was going to hold the threat of that over him.

_Incredible. Four years we've been apart, and as soon as we reunite, you go right back to being a pain in the ass. _

Nevertheless, the meeting had to proceed, and Ozpin decided to move things forward.

"Well, let us get right to the meat of the matter then. Mr Souther, intelligence we have received indicates that the enemy will make their move soon."

"With people from all over the world here, and the Festival serving as a distraction, this is the best time for them," Jaune said.

Ozpin nodded.

"By that logic, there are two time periods when they are most likely to put their plan into motion. During the tournament itself…"

"... And during this ball," said Jaune.

"Exactly."

"And you want me to make sure whatever it is they're planning fails."

"That is correct, Mr Souther."

Jaune crossed his arms.

"Well, for that to happen, I have to at least have an idea of what I'm trying to prevent, you know?"

Ozpin and Ironwood exchanged a lightning glance, which didn't go unnoticed. There was something like a warning in the latter's eyes, and when Ozpin spoke again, he was deliberately vague.

"We suspect they will infiltrate the town, and then the school. Perhaps they have done so already."

The wizard spoke slowly, cautiously, completely avoiding even an indirect reference to whatever it is he didn't want Jaune to know. It seemed whatever secret the school was hiding was not one they were willing to trust him with. At least not yet.

But there was the fact that Ozpin owed him one answer, in exchange for taking down the White Fang base in town. It was time to collect on that debt.

"Specifics, Ozpin. There's something hidden in the school. What is it?"

"That is none of your concern!" snapped Ironwood.

"Then find someone else to do your dirty work," said Jaune nonchalantly. "I have no reason to assist those who refuse to help me."

The General looked furious.

"You would put your desires before the greater need-"

Jaune decided to cut him short right there.

"I have no respect for your definition of the greater need, General. Or Ozpin's, for that matter, but he already knows this."

He allowed his Aura to flare, just a little.

"The Shinken answers only to the Heavens."

Ironwood tensed up. Sensing her commanding officer's intentions, Lily Arc stepped forward, ready to attack if ordered.

Like Jaune, she allowed her Aura to flare, and brother and sister clashed in a silent confrontation, neither backing down from the pressure of the other.

"Not bad," said Lily tightly. "You're not a runt, at least."

"Wish I could say the same for you," returned Jaune.

Her expression darkened,

Jaune noted that the armour she wore was _not_ ordinary. It completely altered the flow of Aura in her body, making it impossible to attack her with his own as he might normally do. In addition, it also _erased the position of her vital points._

_If I can't hit your pressure points… there are still other ways. _

Lily noted that Jaune's body far surpassed her own, and that of everyone else she had met. His power and speed would make taking him head-on a suicidal endeavour.

_If I can't trade blows with you… there are still other ways._

The Berserker's fingers curled and uncurled, as she prepared to draw her sword.

The Shinken's fist clenched, as he prepared to launch it.

"Enough. Both of you. You are doing exactly what the enemy wants. If they saw this, they'd be celebrating," said Ozpin.

When neither fighter backed off, he insisted.

"Please. _Both _of you are essential for us to win this war. We cannot fight amongst ourselves. Put your differences aside, at least for now."

Cautiously, the two of them eased up at the same time, making sure neither launched an attack the other was unprepared for.

A collective sigh was released when the two enormous Auras calmed down.

Ozpin took the opportunity to ease matters further.

"He has a point, James. He is helping us of his own free will, and no matter what you believe, we cannot force him to do anything for us. He has proven trustworthy, in any case. I believe he has earned some answers."

"Tch," Ironwood made no effort to hide his annoyance, but did not argue, out of respect for Ozpin's judgement. "As you will. But an ally who fights against his own is worse than an enemy."

"I have no intention of hurting anyone here, General. I don't strike the innocent. Of course, I'll make an exception for _her_, at the tournament."

Ironwood regarded him for a moment, before relenting.

Ozpin spoke again.

"You must understand, Jaune. There are things which, even if I were to reveal to you now, you would not fully grasp their implications, simply because there are certain things you must know first."

"I'm listening," said Jaune, curious as to where this was going. It seemed Ozpin was finally about to give him something substantial.

"For now, I will tell you there is a secret, and it is hidden underneath this very tower. If all else fails, Jaune, _do not_ let evil reach it. There are lives at stake, and what lies beneath this tower _cannot_ be allowed to fall into the wrong hands."

_Beneath this very tower? Yes, that makes sense. To have a fortified tower for a single office seemed excessive. It is a distraction, then. The underground level is most likely separate, and can be sealed off completely in case of an attack._

"A secret that powerful, huh? If what you say is true… then this much at least I can make sure of. No untrustworthy individual will reach it on my watch. But what manner of thing is it, to be of such significance…"

Ozpin opened a drawer, and from it, withdrew a book which he gave to Jaune.

"The Olde Fairy Tales?"

"Give them a try, Mr Souther. You'll find them interesting."

Jaune was smart enough to not judge a book by its cover, so he slipped it into his jacket.

"Fine. That will have to suffice, for now."

"There is a possibility of a full-scale attack, which is why we've brought forces here," said Ironwood.

"Wise move," said Jaune, unexpectedly supporting him. "While it does put people on edge, it is far better to be prepared than caught without a means to fight."

And with that, the meeting came to an end.

Jaune left the office invigorated. He had gotten at least some idea of what was happening behind the scenes at Beacon. And soon, he'd know more. Speaking of which, he'd have to read this book of fairy tales Ozpin had lent him.

As he opened the door and entered the Dining Hall, he looked around and spotted his team, who were, as usual, hanging out with RWBY. CRDL appeared to be done with breakfast, and were on the way out.

Cardin bumped fists with him as he passed.

"Hey, GreenDay is pretty sick, dude. Nice recommendation," Jaune said.

"Living legends, those guys. Say, we got hold of the new SoulCalibur game too. You should drop by our dorm sometime, have a match or two."

"I think I'll take you up on that soon."

He moved on, intending to grab some food and head over to join the others, when he heard the conversation happening.

Ruby appeared to be excited about something. She was standing on the table, pointing and shouting.

"Vengeance will be swift. It will be painful. It will be delicious!"

Given the food strewn all over the table and on the ground haphazardly, Jaune had a sinking feeling about where this was going.

_Ah shit. They're going to start a food fight, aren't they?_

Right on cue, a pie was thrown, and Jaune shook his head in disapproval.

_There are people out there who are starving. This just isn't right._

Almost immediately, the next pie came rushing… right towards him. Jaune leaned to the side, out of the way.

"Oy, watch it! The leather doesn't wash itself, you know!"

But it was pointless. By this time, they were already too busy trying to use food items as weapons to notice him.

Jaune considered for a while if he should quickly immobilize them, to prevent further waste of food.

_Oh yeah, like that'll go well. Last term they were losing their shit over me breaking Cardin's mace. Somehow, I don't think they'll react well to having their pressure points hit.  
_  
A bowl of soup came flying his way, and Jaune effortlessly put a hand against it gently, spinning it around and dissipating its momentum. Lifting it to his mouth, he drained all of it in one go. Beacon made some good soup.

Now that he was here, it was a waste to leave without eating.

While everyone else screamed and ran for the exits, Jaune calmly walked over to the eye of the storm, standing right between the RWBY and JNPR encampments. Roast chicken sailed through the air, and he grabbed and bit into it, finishing it quickly while also getting some toast with his other hand. In this manner, he proceeded to have a pretty filling breakfast.

"Hah!" shouted Nora. "You guys absolutely suck! You didn't hit our leader _once_!"

_Oy, you don't get to boast about that. You're covered in salad._

"It's no fair…" moaned Yang. "Jaune isn't allowed in games like this. He takes all the fun out of 'em…"

Jaune wondered if he should tell her that her beloved hair was soaked in sauce.

_Yeah no. That's one landmine I'll avoid. _

However, his presence had largely killed RWBY's enthusiasm, since their best efforts had yielded absolutely zilch results in getting even a single stain on him.

In addition, they were also currently experiencing desertion issues, as the following member, one Weiss Schnee, had opted to leave the battle in favour of going over to Jaune.

"Et tu, Weiss?" said Ruby, falling to the ground dramatically, miming a dagger through the chest.

Of course, said heiress' attention was focused completely elsewhere.

Specifically, on Jaune himself, as she walked over to him with her trademark haughty gait.

"You", she said, pointing at him. "I wish to speak to you."

"Sure thing. Is this about the jam that's all over your dress?"

"_That's not what this is about!"_

Jaune raised his hands in placation. As he and Weiss had started spending time together, she had gotten more comfortable with him, and was considerably less formal. As a result, she was more _herself_, even to the point of letting her heiress side show a lot more. He actually rather liked it.

"Okay, okay. Take it easy. Your hair's gonna go white from all that stress."

Of course, Jaune had reciprocated with his own brand of abysmally poor humour, such as teasing a silver-haired girl about hair turning white.

"Urghh! Can you just… not, for a second? And let me speak maybe?"

"Go right ahead."

Weiss drew herself up to her full height, standing with dignity, or about as much dignity as was possible while being covered in food stains anyway.

"You will accompany me to the Vytal Festival Tournament Ball."

Jaune's mouth opened, and he stared at her for a full ten seconds as he allowed her words to sink in.

"Oh."

Apparently, it wasn't a response that pleased the girl.

She leaned in, face full of fury.

"What is that supposed to mean? '_Oh'. _Oh what? You have a problem?"

_Sheesh. This woman gets more assertive every time we meet. But… I don't dislike that._

He quickly responded.

"Of course not. I was just slightly surprised, is all."

Even as Jaune was trying his best to play it cool, going so far as to make quips in his head, his heart was actually hammering in his chest.

The simple fact was that several thousand hours of lifting weights and punching people translated into excellent combat skill.

They did _not_, however, translate into experience with girls.

In this one arena, he was pretty much the same as any first year at Beacon. In fact, he had the added challenge of having to maintain his stoic persona while internally both rejoicing at being asked out by someone (who just happened to be the girl he was closest to), and nervousness at that very same fact.

He took a deep breath. Maybe he was overthinking it. Being asked out didn't mean anything by itself.

The two of them enjoyed each other's company. Maybe that was all Weiss wanted from this. There was no need to make assumptions.

Thus, for the moment, Jaune decided to take the invitation as one from a friend.

"Sure, I'd be happy to go with you. It'll be cool to hang out."

Weiss nearly threw a chair in frustration.

On the one hand, she was happy he'd accepted, but on the other, he had chosen this specific moment to develop the sort of density normally characteristic of poorly-written protagonists in trashy anime.

However, she had zero intention of giving up.

_Oh, it's not over. I fixed things between us even when it seemed impossible. Now, I'll get to the next level. Even if it means I have to spell every single thing out for you._


	16. Between One Enemy and Another

****Author's note: I'm super happy that Lily has been well received as an antagonist. This chapter introduces the second main antagonist of this season.********

**Season 2 Chapter 2: Between One Enemy and Another**

"Not bad. But I think you can go even further."

Pyrrha raised her shield higher, covering her torso, and levelled her spear over it, right at the opponent in front of her.

"I could say the same to you," she said. She took deep breaths. It had been a while since she had been winded during a fight, even if it was a sparring match. She looked at him carefully, searching, probing for openings or weaknesses.

_His stance appears relaxed, and it is, but it's deceptive. Legs angled diagonally, hands at mid level. A fighter's stance, meant for unarmed combat. Of course, without a weapon of any kind, his range should be reduced, and he should have no way to block a blade. In which case, he's wide open._

_But that's not the case._

For the past fifteen minutes, she had tried and failed to land a single blow against him. Milo's gun, spear and sword forms had all been equally ineffective. If she shot at him, he dodged fire and moved around, circling around and closing distance. Any time her line of fire was on him, he simply blocked or deflected the bullets, using his arms and legs. If she used her spear, her advantage in reach meant nothing, since Milo's tip hadn't been able to put a scratch on him, or even cause his Aura gauge to deplete. Instead of him being unarmed, it was as if his entire body was a weapon. His legs and torso were as armour, and his arms and hands were like short swords, shields or hammers, depending on how he used them. Essentially, it was like trying to fight a knight in full gear, who also happened to have the mobility of a bare-body knife wielder. Pyrrha's one-handed spear style simply didn't allow enough variation in movement to take on someone like that. If she switched to a two-handed staff style, she had to give up on using her shield, Akouo. This compromised her defence. The solution, then, was to use Milo in its sword form, in which it was more versatile and maneuverable. The downside… was that she had to get much closer to attack.

Closer, and right into his most dangerous range.

The 2.5 metres immediately around him… was the destruction zone.

Every instinct Pyrrha had screamed only two words whenever Pyrrha even came close to entering it.

'_Absolute Death.'_

Of course, this was a sparring match, and he hadn't performed any such techniques on her, but the pressure and possibility were always there.

"You can't back down. If you do, this happens."

Jaune stepped forward, thrusting his lead fist at her.

Instinctively, she tensed to block with her shield. She realized immediately that it was a mistake.

He swerved to the side and kicked one of her legs out from under her, causing her to stumble. As she did, he stepped past her while hitting her with a backfist, causing her to go sprawling on the ground.

She got up disconsolately. She was tired, and sore as well.

"I think we'll stop here for now," said Jaune.

She turned to face him.

"You're too powerful…"

"You're plenty powerful yourself. As I've said, your problem is that your resolve faltered. You were overthinking, hesitating. And at that point, your determination was already broken. You'd lost. The actual finisher was just a formality after that."

"I… I couldn't find a weakness. A way to attack. Nothing was working…"

"That's extremely common in a fight between equals," said Jaune, surprising her. "Think about it: against someone who's on your level, would an easy and obvious path to victory reveal itself? More likely, it'd come down to a struggle… and the one with the stronger spirit would win."

He looked her in the eye.

"You've gotten complacent. Victory after victory, in tournaments and sparring matches, and even on missions, have made you accustomed to being the stronger one. You've forgotten what it is to dig deep. What it is to hold on, endure, take blows, and wait for an opportunity.

_You need a real fight. _To get stronger, you need to start facing strong opponents."

Pyrrha's eyes widened.

_He's right… since coming here to Beacon… did I even try to seek out the best, and face them? I was so busy trying to fit in… so busy worrying about others seeking me out… that I didn't even think there might be people I'd want to challenge._

"You're right," she said. "I had forgotten what it is to fight. I want to remember it."

Jaune nodded in approval.

"There are plenty of warriors in our year. Seek out the Gold Dragon. I think you'd gain a lot from an encounter with her."

He turned and began to leave the training platform.

"Jaune!"

He paused.

"Thanks for training with me."

He looked at her and nodded.

"Thank you as well. I gained from it too."

Defeat was not a feeling Pyrrha was used to. There was nothing pleasant about it. Only dissatisfaction and anger at oneself, and towards the opponent. She was no different when it came to that. But she breathed, and allowed it to pass, cooling down. Jaune was a good fighter, and a trustworthy companion. His advice invigorated her.

And… she was glad he was able to get something out of training with her too.

It had been a difficult semester, but it had passed. And slowly but surely, the relationship that had almost broken down was being rebuilt.

"Get strong, Pyrrha. We have a tournament to win."

Her eyes glinted with steely determination, and she felt a fire burning inside once more.

After a long, long time, she was not a defending champion. She was a challenger.

She would go for a fight. To win.

"So that you can face your sister, isn't it?"

Jaune did not answer immediately.

"Why do you hate each other so?" Pyrrha asked before she could stop herself.

The enmity between the siblings was not a secret, although most were not aware that they were related. Both of them were famous at Beacon, and both were well-liked. They frequently ran into each other in the halls, and harsh words were often exchanged. The very air crackled with electricity when those two were in each other's vicinity.

It didn't make sense to Pyrrha. She didn't have any siblings, and whenever she had thought about what it might be like to have one, she had always imagined she would be close to them. Connected. Like two halves of the same soul.

"I don't hate her," said Jaune quietly. "No… it's just the opposite. I often wished we could be close. But it never happened. Rather than stand by each other, we were too busy competing. That hasn't changed. And that's why… we need to settle it. Once and for all."

Pyrrha couldn't fully understand it.

But, it felt like this was Jaune's fight. It wasn't a mountain he had to climb. But as he had just said, to grow stronger, one had to confront challenges. And this felt like Jaune's challenge. A showdown with the sister he had always competed with. To show her what he had achieved since their parting.

_Jaune Arc… youngest son of the famous family of Hunters. _

Yes, this much Jaune had chosen to reveal to his team. Things had changed since the night he had gone out to assist RWBY in bringing Blake back. He had started to open up.

_Why did you leave your family? Weren't you happy with them?_

She shook her head. It was too early to ask questions like that. But someday, she would know.

_Jaune Arc? I really can't picture you as an Arc for some reason. Jaune Souther works fine._

"You're meeting up with Weiss?" she said aloud.

"Ah… yeah," he replied, reverting to being a regular teenager again. "She asked me to come."

Pyrrha smiled. It was amazing how he could go from genius to ultra-dense this quickly. Somehow, it restored her faith in humanity to see that for all his power, he was still just an ordinary boy at heart.

It was incredible that he hadn't yet understood Weiss' feelings for him. Everyone else had picked up on them.

"Good luck," she said to him. "I hope it works out for the both of you."

"Umm… thanks, I guess?"

He had an idea of what she was referring to, but he was quite sure Weiss only viewed him as a friend.

"Extreme density," Pyrrha muttered. "Maybe that's why he's so durable."

**Meanwhile, elsewhere at Beacon:**

Cinder Fall looked at the Hall she stood in, committing the sight to memory. Intelligence on Beacon was limited, and almost nothing had been known beforehand about the layout of the school. The only thing that was stated was that there would be an underground ancient structure somewhere below.

Inside that structure was what she desired. What she needed, in order to become complete.

The other half of the power she had taken.

"Well, guess we made it in, somehow," said a boy standing behind her.

Grey haired and built like an athlete, he had a cocky air about him, arms behind his head as he whistled slightly and took in the view.

"Yeah, it's a miracle we managed to get in at all considering the number of times you messed up," said a feminine voice. Short and slender, this girl had neck length hair that was a curious silvery green, along with red eyes.

"Hey, at least ten percent of those incidents were your fault," protested the boy.

He got an elbow in the ribs for the trouble.

"That still means ninety percent of them are on you!"

"Enough," said Cinder, instantly causing the two of them to become silent.

With the body of a grown woman, and a face to match, few would dispute that she was attractive. She looked, as a matter of fact, in her early twenties, making it more difficult for her to play the part of student, but through her excellent performance, she managed to make it work.

Now that they were here, their task was to locate the Fall Maiden, and take their power.

And also… to make sure no one in this town survived.

**Beacon Guest Lodgings, Room 7, the Next Morning:**

Penny's systems booted up her mind, as she shifted from Sleep Mode to Active. Her body, which was entirely artificial, was composed of the special alloy used to make Hunter weapons, but a modified version of that substance. In addition, there were various metallic parts, along with silicon and high grade plastic, which were used to make some of the operating chips and compartments inside her. The actual programming was coded onto an artificial Operating Dust Crystal, formed from combining Lightning Dust and Arcane Dust. This Crystal had two different operating forces. The first was an autonomous one that controlled the various systems needed to keep her running. It was similar to the involuntary part of a human's nervous system and brain. The second was her actual personality. Her soul.

Formally, it was called an AI: Artificial Intelligence.

But the name barely did her justice.

She lived, she learnt, she felt.

In so many ways, she was human.

As the AI finished booting up, the entity known as Penny awoke. The special recharging and maintenance pod she rested in opened, allowing her to step out.

"Up already? Did you sleep well?"

"Fully charged and operational!" she replied brightly.

Her companion smiled slightly.

"Good." How about we go get some breakfast then?"

Lily Arc was clad, as ever, in her armour. Her greatsword was strapped to her back, and she stood ready for action. This was how she was. Penny had never actually seen her any other way.

Shortly after she first came online, she was introduced to Lily. That meeting had been curious. The only entity she had been pre-programmed to know was General Ironwood, who was, in a way, her father. She also knew the scientists and doctors who were responsible for creating her hardware and software, but she was familiar with them only by sight.

Lily was entirely new, and her first experience of someone who was closer to her own age. She was younger than Ironwood and the ones who took care of her.

Unlike those scientists, Lily's purpose in her life was unclear, and never narrowed down to one specific function.

After their initial introduction, the blonde knight visited her everyday, and shortly afterwards, became her near constant companion. While combat, navigation and other operational programs were loaded into her directly, the knight became her guide in _other_ aspects of life. Food. Talking to people. Going out and seeing things. Having someone to interact with and get to know.

Lily never stated her own function either, and when Penny asked Ironwood about her, his only reply was that Penny she should decided herself what the girl meant to her.

Penny researched on her own, delving into books, trying to decode what the patterns of their relationship suggested.

Judging by those patterns, and her own feelings, Lily was like a sister to her. And elder sister.

Of course, she hadn't ever said that aloud to her.

Her "AI" was developed enough to be nervous and even shy.

She nodded and put on her clothes, likewise getting ready to go out.

As they made their way to the Dining Hall, Lily remembered something.

"Say, about that girl, Ruby Rose. You're getting along well with her, aren't you?"

"We have met a total of 3 more times since our initial encounter. I have yet to determine the specifics, but we appear to be interacting smoothly!"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'd say that qualifies as getting along. But you could step it up a gear, you know? Hang out with her more often. You'll make a friend that way."

Penny looked at her in surprise.

"A friend?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"You really think we can be friends?" she asked excitedly, startling the knight slightly.

Lily recovered quickly, however.

"Yeah, definitely! You just have to take the first step, that's all."

"But… what if she refuses?" asked Penny, looking down.

Lily placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

"All right. I'll let ya in on a little secret. When you're reaaaaallly friends with someone, you never need to ask them if you are. And you never need to say it aloud either. You just know."

"But… how? How do I know if someone is my friend?"

"Well, for starters, they'll always be there for you when you need them. Help you out in times of trouble, and celebrate with you when you do well. You'll feel warm and safe with them. You'll feel like you belong."

Penny's eyes widened.

"That. Sounds. AMAZING! But… what if I misjudge? What if they aren't really a friend?"

That was a harder question to answer.

Plenty of humans failed to distinguish a true friend from a false one until it was too late. And really, it wasn't so easy to explain to someone how to make that distinction. It was something one had to learn over the course of one's life, through trial and error.

It was impossible to find a hit without at least a few misses.

But…

"Don't worry. I'll never let anyone like that get close to you," said Lily.

"Truly?"

"Count on it."

They came to the Dining Hall, and team RWBY was visible in the distance. Of course, JNPR was with them too, and that meant Jaune was there.

Her eyes met his.

_Heh. You've gotten strong, brother. This is one fight I want. So be patient. Our time will come._

She patted Penny on the back, motioning towards Ruby.

"Go on. She's right there. Don't look back."

As the girl walked forward, Lily watched her go with a slight smile on his face.

She was just about to go get her own breakfast, when she felt a spark in her mind.

Her senses flared, as though from a sudden flash of light, and she wheeled around to the source of the disturbance.

_**Lily Arc- Semblance 1: Bestial Sense.**_  
_**It is said that the Berserker will relentlessly hunt down an enemy and track them, even if they are robbed of all their senses. The Berserker soul latches on to traces of ill intent in a living being's Aura, revealing their location.**_

Her Semblance, which activated on its own whenever a hostile being was close, instantly pointed out the threats.

She stared right at Cinder Fall, Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai, and knew, these were the agents of the enemy.

This was the reason Lily was the prized Specialist of Atlas' army. She was like a hound. Since her Semblance had awakened, the rate of successful infiltrations against Atlas had reduced to less than ten percent.

_So it's these three, huh? They don't look like much. Something about that woman is off though… it's like she's hiding something that's not Aura. _

_Well, it doesn't matter. They'll die soon enough. _

Cinder felt eyes on her. A gaze so sharp, it felt like a blade physically piercing her.

She whipped her head around, and saw the one delivering the death stare.

A knight, standing six feet tall, in full body armour. Her long blonde hair trailed down her back, and a gigantic sword that looked impossible to wield was strapped to that same back.

And a pair of eyes colder than frozen Atlas itself stared right _into _her, right into her soul.

She felt every secret she held being laid bare in front of those eyes.

Frozen in place, paralyzed by fear, she couldn't move.

_Absurd! I have the power of a Maiden! Am I experiencing fear? It's impossible… but…_

The cold shill that ran down her spine said otherwise.

This was the precise sensation an animal feels when it is in the sights of its natural predator.

Those eyes spoke clearer than any words.

_**I will kill you**__,_ they screamed. 


	17. One Hell of a Party

**Author's note: Consecutive uploads, because two punches are better than one! Two guest characters make their debuts in this chapter, and also, more family members make their appearances. The gang is gradually getting together.**

**With that, I'll also do a little poll here.**

**Would you prefer this story to take a darker path? Hokuto no Ken was plenty dark, and no victories were achieved without sacrifice.**

**Or alternatively, would you prefer an outcome where everything works out in the end?**

**Note: I'm not saying this poll will determine where the story goes. I'm simply curious to know what people think, and what sort of stories they enjoy.**

**Season 2 Chapter 3: One Hell of a Party**

The Bullhead slowed down, thrusters changing position as it descended vertically onto the assigned landing spot for it. Scattering dust in every direction, the massive craft landed. Close to a hundred feet long, this was the Atlesian Juggernaut, a hybrid combat and transport Bullhead that could lead aerial attacks and be used to drop troops into conflict zones. The doors opened, and panels lowered onto the ground. In neat files, the soldiers deboarded the craft. Quickly, they formed two lines that framed the path leading outward from one of the open doors. Standing at attention, they held their weapons up.

From the door, a single figure emerged. Tall and slender, she was dressed in Atlas' white and pale blue, accentuated even further by her own icy eyes and silver hair. A curved blade was sheathed at her side. The soldiers stomped in unison as she walked down the line.

_**Winter Schnee: Specialist of Atlas.**_

The elder of the Schnee sisters surveyed the docks. All around, various other ships were either already docked, or in the process of doing so. Warriors, Hunters and civilians from all the kingdoms were arriving.

The Vytal Festival this year appeared to have drawn a massive crowd, and its spectacular popularity was in full display.

A miniscule shake of her head expressed her feelings on the matter.

With this many people, it would be even harder to maintain order and prevent the enemy's plans from succeeding.

"Well, well. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

A knight in full armour awaited at the end of the line, facing her, greatsword strapped to her back.

Winter walked up to her, and for a moment, the two stood head to head, until they both saluted at the same time.

"You know I hate these formalities, don't you?" Lily asked under her breath.

"You never change, do you?"

The armoured helm slid back, and the blonde knight grinned.

"Come on. Lemme show you around town."

Winter smiled slightly and nodded, and the two began to walk together.

"What's the situation like over her?" she asked.

"Well, I've located at least three hostiles. I'm fairly sure they're infiltrators. Heck, they've even been put up in the same guest building I'm in. Terminating them would be easy. But…"

"The General refused?"

Lily nodded.

"This is pointless! Letting them live serves no purpose, and increases the risk. At any time, they could put into operation whatever it is they're planning."

"You're monitoring them, aren't you?"

"Not when they're inside their dorm. You know Ozpin doesn't allow that."

Winter frowned. She was well aware of Ozpin's tendencies. Although she had never met the man in person, she had spoken to him several times over comm link, and heard much about him from Ironwood. He was… a difficult person, to say the least. While his practices emphasizing freedom and liberty were very much principles Winter agreed with, she did wish he was more prudent about ensuring security.

"Say, you get along with the General, don't you," said Lily, an evil smile making its way onto her face. "Maybe you could give him some _incentive_ to give me the go-ahead…"

Winter blushed at what the other Specialist had just suggested, shaking her head wildly.

"A-absurd! Such lewdness, completely unbefitting of a knight…"

"Ey, it's natural. Nothing wrong with having a crush on an older man-"

"Silence!" said Winter, refusing to make eye contact.

As the Specialist pair bantered back and forth in this manner, another Bullhead had landed, and its passengers dismounted. Among the crowd waiting for those on that craft was a certain young warrior. Next to him was a silver haired girl.

"Jaune, while I don't mind accompanying you at all, who exactly are we here for?" asked Weiss.

The boy kept scanning the people getting off the Bullhead.

"Just wait. You'll see."

Mentally, he was filled with an excitement he hadn't felt in a while.

_Come on, what's taking you two so long? _

Finally, he spotted familiar silhouettes.

They were hard to miss even in the crowd, because of how much they stood out. Both of them were tall, standing above six feet.

One of them was lean and slender. Even in the summer heat, he was clothed in a red long coat and hat, with orange sunglasses covering his eyes. Neck length black hair framed his face. There was a sort of animalistic grace to his features, and he walked perfectly calm and unhurried, as if he wasn't in the middle of a crowd at all.

The one next to him was broad shouldered. His physique was every bit a match for Jaune's, with thick arms that strained his sleeves, and well defined pectorals and abs that were visible even against his vest. He wore a black unbuttoned jacket with a heavy gold chain through one collar, and a hat that shrouded his face in shadow.

Both of them spotted Jaune at the same time.

As their gazes turned towards them, Weiss felt an enormous pressure, similar to what she felt when Jaune himself got serious.

The pair walked towards them, and she instinctively prepared herself to fight or run.

"Jaune…"

As they approached, Jaune stood right in front of them, and a tense staredown ensued.

Until…

Jaune and the man in the black jacket both extended their fists at the same time, bumping them. Once from below, once from above, then ramming them into each other, in a ridiculously unnecessary and over-complicated handshake.

"So you made it here," said Jaune.

The man's face remained completely expressionless, which was at odds with the words he then spoke.

"Yeah. I wanted to see this place you spoke so much about."

_**Jotaro Kujo: Descendant of the Joestar Bloodline. Possesses a powerful guardian spirit named Star Platinum. Wielding his power, he can annihilate entire legions of foes.**_

Jaune turned his attention to the other man, who smiled widely. The two shook hands.

"You're looking good too. Things been fun recently?"

"Ah, some interesting things happened," replied the one in the red coat.

_**Alucard: True name- Vlad "The Impaler" Tepes. Species: True Vampire (demon). The first and most powerful of all vampires. The apex predator.**_

  
Weiss' eyes widened.

_These two… are his friends?_

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Jaune had not spoken much of his past, and had never said anything about any friends he might have had.

_Of course, they're ridiculously strong. Why am I even surprised?_

Shaking her head, she stepped forward. If they were going to be here for a while, she would end up having to interact with them sooner or later.

Both of them directed their attention towards her now.

Jaune decided to introduce them all.

"Ah, Weiss. These guys are my friends. Through various circumstances, I ran into them during my travels."

He gestured towards the man in the black jacket.

"This is Jotaro Kujo. He's from Vacuo. As a matter of fact, he's officially a student of Shade Academy, but I don't think he attends-"

"It's a waste of time. They don't teach anything there," he grunted. Looking at Weiss, he nodded to her slightly, expression not changing.

Jaune sweat-dropped. Of course, most of Jotaro's knowledge and skills were self-obtained.

He turned to the man wearing the sunglasses.

"This is Alucard. Can't really say he's from any of the kingdoms. Not the ones that currently exist, anyway."

The one named Alucard took off his hat and bowed politely.

"Pleasure. The boy here did not tell me he had found a woman. This is… most intriguing…"

One eye glowed red from behind his shades momentarily, and Weiss felt a chill run down her spine.

Jaune elbowed him in the ribs.

"Oi, stop that. You're scaring her."

Immediately, the effect passed, and Alucard laughed lightly.

"Sorry about that. Force of habit."

Jaune looked at Weiss and smiled.

"This is Weiss Schnee. She's… a friend here at Beacon."

_Not a "friend" for long,_ Weiss said mentally.

Her look of determination did not go unnoticed by either of the two new arrivals.

Jotaro gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Yare yare daze", he muttered.

Alucard smiled extra wide, revealing sharp canines. "These mating rituals never cease to amuse."

"Nice to meet you both," Weiss said, not quite sure yet how she felt about these newcomers. They both appeared incredibly shady. But, of course, Jaune himself could also appear that way to those who didn't know him. For the moment, she decided to trust his judgement on them. He wouldn't acknowledge them as friends unless they were trustworthy.

"Well, no point standing around! Let me show you guys around town!"

As the four of them embarked on their journey of exploration, a certain other person was also waiting for someone supposed to arrive on that very day.

Ruby Rose was waiting patiently, until she saw the one she was here to meet.

As ever, he walked with a slight slouch in his posture, and a bit of a stumble.

_Drunk this early in the morning? _

Ruby shook her head. It seemed some things never changed.

Regardless, she waved both hands and shouted loudly.

"Uncle Qrow! Over here!"

Spotting her, he waved back with a slight grin on his face as he made his way over to her.

"Hey. Been a while, kid. Have you gotten taller?"

"One full centimetre!" said Ruby proudly. "Are you going to stay this time around?"

"Eh… I'll be here for a little while, I guess."

_****_

And so, the three unsuspecting groups made their way into town, unaware that they were about to meet.

"... and so, he says, 'you lost because you pissed me off! Hahahahaha, that was pretty epic!"

"Yare yare daze."

"Are… are all your adventures like this?" asked Weiss.

Jaune had just recounted the tale of a battle between Jotaro and a vampire named Dio. Weiss had heard, with a mixture of curiosity and horror. Of course, it wasn't simply the others who had anecdotes of their past revealed. Some of Jaune's own exploits had been revealed as well, including a particularly memorable fight between him and some kind of otherworldly creature called a Yautja.

Weiss couldn't help but notice that most of the situations all three of them found themselves in were due to a blatant disregard for their own lives. It was like they _lived_ for danger, and threw themselves into it.

_He probably thinks this is the only way to live as the Successor. That he has to keep rushing into every fight, taking every burden onto himself. But… you can't solve every problem by punching it in the face._

As they walked, they caught sight of a pair approaching.

Weiss immediately recognized the one from her past.

"Sister!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Sister," said Jaune, deeply unenthusiastically, having noticed Lily.

Weiss rushed forward to greet Winter.

_So this is Weiss' elder sister, Winter Schnee._

Jaune noted that she was in military attire, and armed. In many ways, she appeared to be a more mature version of Weiss. Lower centre of gravity, more stability in her posture, more grounded overall. She was the more skilled of the two, tempered through countless battles, and it showed in her bearing.

"Winter! It is a pleasure to have you in our presence!"

_Oddly formal greeting… _

Winter did not immediately respond.

"Beacon. It's been a while," she said at last.

"Oh, you'll love it here! Beacon is different from Atlas… and so is Vale. The kingdom and school are separate! Can you believe that?"

"I'm quite familiar with how Vale handles its… bureaucracy." Winter said the last word with a hint of distaste.

_Wow. Between her and Ironwood, I'm starting to understand why Ozpin's so frustrated._

"Oh, I see! What brings you here?" Weiss' enthusiasm could not be dampened.

"Classified."

_Security for the tournament_, Jaune answered mentally. Later on, he would tell Weiss the things Winter refused to. Her demeanour was starting to get on his nerves. Despite being the polar opposite of Lily, she was similar in so far as she was annoying and full of herself as well.

"How long will you be staying?"

"Classified."

"I see," said Weiss, not at all put off by this.

"More importantly, I will be observing your performance in the tournament. I do expect you've progressed since we last met, and will not be absolutely hopeless this time around."

_Seriously?_

Jaune looked at Lily, who grinned knowingly at him, as if she knew how annoyed he must be by this scene.

"I will do my best," said Weiss proudly.

_I don't understand. Why look up to someone like this? I never even asked Weiss, did I, what her life was like before she came to Beacon? _

Were things difficult for her too? What sort of history did she have with Winter? And why… why would she respect someone this disdainful of her?

"In any case," said Winter, lightening slightly, "How have you been?"

"I'm doing quite well. Classes are going well, and I'm in the top five of the sparring rankings-"

She was silenced by a slap to the top of the head.

Jaune restrained himself from intervening with some difficulty.

Lily leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Careful with that bloodlust, brother. You might give someone a heart attack."

"Why am I not surprised you hang out with a complete bitch like this?"

"And yet, you're the one dating her sister," Lily replied. "Wonder how she'll take that news."

Jaune glared at her.

"I jest, I jest. By all means, I'm on your side. Go get laid. You might finally loosen up a little."

In the meantime, Winter continued.

"I wasn't asking about the rankings. I meant how you were doing. Are you eating and sleeping well? Have you taken up any hobbies? Gotten to know new people?"

"Well, I-"

She turned towards Jaune, and Winter's gaze followed hers.

It landed on a tall young man who was well built, muscled arms hanging at his sides. His gold hair was cropped short, and a single scar ran across his left eye vertically.

_Posture, physique and gaze are that of an experienced warrior. And that pressure he's exerting with his presence… is he really a student here?_

Winter also noted that Lily was standing quite close to him.

And… their features were _incredibly _similar.

It took only a second to make the connection.

Lily had often spoken fondly about a twin brother during training at Atlas Academy.

"You," said Winter slowly. "You're Jaune Arc."

The Shinken glared at Lily, who shook her head, indicating she had not given away the secret.

Now that she knew, there was no use hiding it.

"I _was_ Jaune Arc," he corrected. "I _am_ Jaune Souther."

"A false name and identity, under which you've entered a government affiliated institution. This is a criminal offense, Mr _Arc_."

Weiss looked on in dismay at what was happening. This was the worst case scenario. Within minutes of their meeting, her sister had already taken a dislike towards Jaune.

"Yeah? Well, sue me," replied Jaune.

And of course, he had developed a dislike towards her as well.

She was frozen in place, unable to step forward and intervene, between the force of two dominating personalities.

Winter turned towards Lily.

"You knew of this."

"Of course I did."

The icy Specialist frowned.

"Why have you done nothing about it?"

"He has Ozpin's approval," replied the Knight nonchalantly.

"That irresponsible man," muttered Winter.

"Nah, I don't think you're right," corrected Lily. "My brother's no joke. In terms of actual combat ability, he's top of the rankings."

"Beacon rankings mean nothing to me," said Winter.

"I didn't say anything about Beacon," said Lily, winking.

Winter was slightly startled, but recovered quickly.

"No matter how skilled he might be, a criminal is a criminal."

"Yare yare daze," said Jotaro. "Noisy women are incredibly annoying. I'm out of here."

He turned to leave, and Alucard followed.

"We'll be in town, Souther. Come find us later."

_Great. She's ruined my plans of hanging out._

Of course, this was the precise moment a certain drunk one chose to make his entrance.

"Well, well. Look who we have. It's the Ice Queen herself."

They all turned to regard the new arrival. Even Jotaro and Alucard paused to see what was going on.

Qrow stumbled forwards.

"It's funny, because I'm the one drinking, but you Atlesian idiots are the ones who seem to be losing the brain cells."

"You insolent wretch," said Winter, restraining herself with difficulty.

"What the hell are you thinking, dragging your clanking bots and guns into a peaceful town? Have you lost your minds?"

_Great, one more arrives,_ Jaune thought.

This man was thin, with a slightly hunched posture, creating an illusion of weakness that Jaune immediately saw past.

_He's strong. Musculature is developed for performance, not size. He's fast, and has plenty of explosive movement power. Probably a swordsman or axe wielder whose style relies on a heavy weapon. And… he's sharper than he looks. He isn't drunk at all. It's a front to lure an enemy into underestimating him._

Behind him was Ruby, and Jaune noticed the resemblance between the two right away.

_Wait… no way… is he her-?_

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. It was idle speculation.

The man continued.

"You and Ironwood… both complete fools. Are you going to screw this one up too?"

This was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Winter closed her eyes for a second.

"That's it. Now you… pay!"

She unsheathed her sabre in one smooth move, while sliding forward to slash.

Her attack was intercepted by Qrow, who raised his sword and blocked with its handle using one arm.

Pushing her back, he slipped his backhanded grip higher up on his weapon as he gestured at her to bring it on.

Winter calmed down. Now that she was in a fight. She would allow her rational, analytical side to take over.

She got into a fencing stance, one side facing him, along with her blade.

By contrast, Qrow was still using his backhanded grip.

Winter advanced, stepping forward and testing his defences with a thrust. He batted it away with minimal movement, knocking the blade sideways with his own.

The Specialist stayed in the same range, and tried multiple thrusts, which he all deflected, followed by a downward slice, which he blocked, before pushing her back once more.

He flipped his sword into a forward grip now, and grinned cockily at her.

Frowning, she stepped in again. This time, she used her speed and agility to deliver a series of thrusts and slashes in rapid succession. Some came from the left, some the right, some from above or below, and some directly. And all the time, she dashed around laterally, trying to get to his side and hit him from a blind spot.

Through a combination of blocks and last moment dodges, Qrow negated the entire attack. There was something of a drunken stagger to each movement, making it almost look like luck. _Almost._

Frustrated, Winter upped the intensity of her attack, delivering a Dust-infused slash that sent a wave towards him.  
Qrow jumped out of the way, and the slash left a deep gouge in the ground. As he did so, he unfolded his sword into its scythe form. If she was starting to use her weapon's capabilities, there was no reason for him to hold back on his own.

The two rushed towards each other, and as they clashed, one of them stepped on a puddle of mud, sending a splash of it… right onto Jaune's leather jacket.

"Ah. It appears they've made a grave mistake," said Alucard.

Jaune's eyes were closed, and the vibe he was giving was worrying Weiss.

"What's going on?" asked Weiss.

"Well, you see," said Alucard. "That particular jacket is a gift from his Master, Kenshiro."

"How dare you…" said Jaune in a low voice. "Stain my precious. Leather. Jacket."

His Aura flared, rolling off his body like steam.

Lily looked like Christmas had come earlier. At last, she got to see him fight up close.

"Jaune, stop-" Weiss began, but he had already disappeared.

He became visible in the air again, right above Winter and Qrow. The two sensed him, and jumped backwards, just in time.

Jaune landed with a downward punch that cracked the concrete, creating an impact crater.

He stood up straight, and both Qrow and Winter eyed him cautiously now.

"You! Attacking when you're not involved… I should have expected no better", said Winter.

"Not involved, huh?" Jaune laughed darkly. "Say that when you're scrubbing my jacket clean!"

With blinding speed, he rushed at Winter, who prepared to dodge, only for Jaune to disappear entirely from her field of vision.

_Impossible!_

It was only her instinct that saved her. Experience had taught her that if an enemy could slip out of view, they would try to attack a vulnerable spot that lies on a path never covered by one's eyes. In other words, the back of the neck.

She ducked, and felt the air above her whistle. The force behind the blow had surpassed any kind of great axe or scythe.

_Is he trying to kill me?!_

She backed away, turning as she did so to face him.

Before Jaune could chase her down, however, multiple shotgun blasts bounced off him.

He turned a contemptous eye towards Qrow, who grinned.

"Hey. That's no way to treat a lady."

"You're a grade-A hypocrite," countered Jaune, referring to the obvious.

Qrow blinked.

"Fair enough."

He shifted Harbinger from its shotgun form back into a scythe, and got into a low stance.

"Haven't been in a 1 versus 1 versus 1 fight in a long time," he said.

Winter likewise took up a more offensive version of her fencing stance on Jaune's other side.

Jaune didn't even bother taking a stance.

"Quit yapping and come at me already. I'll have you clean this leather up till its sparkling, I tell you."

"Sigh. Sorry, kid. You're shit out of _luck_," said Qrow, referencing his Semblance.

He dashed in, scythe held low, while Winter followed a half second later, from the opposite direction.

The impromptu plan was for Qrow to sweep wide, causing Jaune to jump or dodge to avoid, at which point Winter would come at him right after he had done so, in the instant before he could recover.

It was a heat-of-battle decision by two veteran fighters who knew the only way to beat a more powerful opponent was by working together.

The problem was… they had no idea _how_ much more powerful the opponent was.

As Qrow's blade closed in, Jaune blocked it with his foot, while pushing it down and jumping off of it. This caused Qrow to be pulled forward by the weight… until Jaune's ascending knee caught him in the chin.

It was not a hard hit. Qrow had been hit with more force before.

But he couldn't move at all.

All the strength was gone from his legs, and he felt every muscle in his body freeze up.

He felt his Aura start to fade, even as it desperately attempted to surge through his body to heal the damage, it was weak. Almost like a canal drying up when the stream has been blocked further up.

_What sort of attack was that?!_

Winter had committed to her charge, but instead of a dodge, Jaune had countered Qrow completely, surprising her. Regardless, she thrust her blade forward.

As her sword drew nearer, Jaune spread his arms wide, even as he used his Aura to create a kind of platform in the air, allowing him to actually double jump, as if it were a video game.

He flipped over backwards, avoiding the blade and soaring over her, even as his arms were still held out to the sides.

Winter looked up, and had a momentary vision of an eagle above.

_What the hell…_

_**Nanto Suicho Ken: Hisho Hakurei- A counter move used to leap above an enemy's attack while delivering death from the skies.**_

Only, this was Jaune's own modified version of it.

If Kenshiro had been the Hokuto Shin Ken purist, whose power lay in the perfection with which he had been able to use its techniques, then Jaune was a different kind of Successor.

In Hokuto Shin Ken's 1800 year history, never before had one seamlessly combined Hokuto techniques with those from Nanto to this level… until Jaune.

"_Your own Hokuto Shin Ken, Jaune," _Kenshiro had said. "_This is your fist. Your own, built from all the things you've learned and experienced."_

In the air, Jaune slashed, but instead of aiming to slice through flesh, the waves of Aura he emitted struck Winter's vital points with devastating accuracy.

_**Hokuto and Nanto Union: Holy Cross Paralysis- A mid-air counter that strikes a combination of points on the body to disable key nerves, immobilizing an opponent.**_

_****_  
Winter crashed to the ground, unable to move.

_Unhh… how can this be?_****

Jaune landed gracefully.

The crowd of onlookers who had assembled all had their jaws hanging open.

An Atlas operative and Hunter had been brought down… in moments, by a single man.

Ruby couldn't believe it. Qrow had actually been defeated. The one who had taught her how to fight… had been bested, right in front of her.

And moreover, it was the fact that Ruby couldn't understand how exactly it had happened. Unlike the incredible strength and power Jaune normally exhibited in a fight, the move he had used to finish Qrow had appeared gentle, almost like like a tap.

And then, the follow-up against Winter, whom he hadn't even touched.

_Was that his Semblance? I don't understand… Who are you, Jaune? What other skills are you hiding?_

But on no one was the impact more profound than on Weiss.

To say it was heartbreaking would not be an exaggeration.

The one she had looked up to, the one who had been her inspiration, something to strive for, something to live for. Against the one who had become her source of strength and companionship now.

The one she wanted to be like, against the one she wanted to be with.

The look of confusion and hurt on her face did not go unnoticed by Jaune.

Crouching, he hit the appropriate pressure points to reverse the effect of his attacks on both his opponents, allowing them to move normally again.

"They're not hurt," he said to Weiss. "I… I have changed, you know? I held back this time."

He had simply sealed off their movements rather than do harm to them.

He held out his hands and pulled them both to their feet.

"You're still both going to clean this up," he said, gesturing to his jacket.

Qrow groaned. "It was an accident, kid. Give us a break, will ya?"

Winter, however, did not protest.

"Fine. A winner's request must be respected. You defeated us both fairly. You don't fight like a coward or a criminal. With your skills, you could have done plenty of harm already if you had wanted."

Her expression became sterner.

"However, I am yet to determine what your relationship is with Weiss. I would like to know more about that. _Now."_

Weiss all but wailed in protest.

_Oh, come on! Aren't things complicated enough already?_


	18. Decision

**Author's note: Have I mentioned how flipping awesome you guys are? The support has been incredible, and I haven't enjoyed writing a fic this much in ages. Thank you all.**

**This chapter features some stuff I think a lot of people have been waiting for. Incidentally, in this fic, the Tournament will be covered in Season 2, since Season 3 will MAJOR canon divergence.**

**With that out of the way… let's rock!**

**Season 2 Chapter 4:**

  
The atmosphere was _electric._ Not a sound was made. Every breath was held, chests tight with tension as every pair of eyes watched, unblinking, the sight in front of them.

The two boys faced off. Both stood over six feet tall, and in many ways, mirrored each other perfectly. Lean muscle rippled on both frames, their bodies filled with strength and vitality. Both were stoic, their faces giving no sign of their thoughts and intentions, bespeaking only laser focus.

One, dark haired, wearing a hat that seemed to almost fuse with that very same hair. His hands were by his sides, his hips slightly lowered and knees bent. He was ready to move at any moment.

The other, with hair golden as the sun. He had his hands high, in a boxing stance. Legs bent and slightly apart, one side angled diagonally towards the opponent. He bobbed slightly on his feet.

Both of them waited, not making a move. Searching for the opening in the other's focus.

In the crowd, Yang leaned in closer to Weiss.

"Hey, are you seeing this? That guy's fighting on an even level with Jaune. How's he doing it? Your boyfriend tell you anything about how his kung fu magic works?"

Weiss shook his head.

"It's too fast to tell for sure… but there's something weird about that guy's Aura. It's almost as if it's capable of separating from his body."

"So… a projection-type Semblance?"

"I don't think so… it seems too solid… too well defined. Almost as if it's _alive_."

This was the first time anyone at Beacon had seen Jaune actually have to try during a fight.

The result was spectacular.

The arena floor had been shattered entirely, bits of rubble scattered around as the fighters now stood on bare ground.

Jaune had launched blow after blow, but none of them had landed. He had also blocked and avoided several hits, not allowing a single attack to damage him.

But the curious thing was… he appeared to be fighting thin air.

His opponent, Jotaro, didn't attack Jaune physically. At least, not with his own body. Yet, _something_ was fighting Jaune. The vibrations from the impacts of whatever was meeting Jaune's fists was shaking the entire building.

And while Jaune had broken part of the ring… that invisible thing had broken the other half of it.

"Heh," said Jaune. "Star Platinum is as strong as ever, huh?"

"I could say the same about you," replied Jotaro.

Behind him, a massive figure floated in the air, even larger than him. Standing close to seven feet tall, his bone structure was massive, and his musculature made him seem like a god out of the old myths. His skin was purple, and he was clad only in a loincloth. Wild black hair trailed from his head.

This was Jotaro's hidden power, the violent guardian spirit that obliterated all who stood in front of him with overwhelming strength.

_**Special Ability: Stand Wielder.  
Jotaro Kujo's fighting spirit (Aura) and psychic energy combine and manifest themselves physically in the form of a guardian spirit, called a Stand. Jotaro's Stand is named Star Platinum, and is a reflection of his very soul. As a close range Stand, Star Platinum boasts incredible strength and speed, capable of shattering diamonds with his punches. **_****

Star Platinum was invisible to most people. However, to a practitioner of Hokuto Shin Ken, who could sense Auras and use his own consciously, his form was revealed.

"Well, no point dragging this out," said Jaune. "Showdown?"  
"Call," replied Jotaro.

Neither of the two friends were willing to use their hidden killing or crippling moves on the other, and were instead using this sparring match as an exercise in fighting.

Since they were stalemated in terms of striking, all that remained… was an exchange of blows until one of them went down.

Jaune couldn't help but let a grin show on his face. In truth, he did not enjoy fighting at all normally.

But this… this was different. This kind of fight made him a better person. It taught him respect, and made him connect to his opponent in a way nothing else could.

_Yeah, I can see your soul, Jotaro. I'm glad you're my friend. _

As one, both of them roared out loud, Star Platinum uttering Jotaro's own war cry.

Shinken and Stand rushed right at each other, neither one intending to back down.

They accelerated near-instantly to a speed just below that of sound, neither one wanting to destroy the entire building.

And though they were holding back, the collision of their fists nearly blew everyone backwards.

"Ata! ATA! ATATATATATATATATATA!"

"Ora! ORA! ORAORAORAORAORA!"

Like machine guns, both figures fired off punch after punch, meeting the other's strikes with their own. It was like watching two storms collide.

Weiss watched in awe.

_Incredible. So this is the world he belongs to…_

In that moment, she was incredibly proud of Jaune, but somehow, her heart ached as well.

He was smiling. Truly happy, something so rare for him. That was the joy of fighting a worthy and equal opponent, one who was also a friend.

Somehow, in that moment, he seemed immeasurably distant.

_That Jotaro guy is incredible too. Is everyone in Jaune's world like this? It's as if they're all legends. Heroes out of some kind of myth. I wouldn't be surprised if they all travel the world, saving lives.  
_"_WATAAAAAAAAA!"  
_"_ORAAAAAAAAA!"_

One final time, two titanic fists smashed into each other, the shockwave denting the concrete floor that had so far been under the ring.

Both figures pushed, but neither succeeded in moving the other.

At the same time, both lowered their fists, and Jotaro called Star Platinum back into him, causing the giant to disappear from view.

"I concede," he said, with a hint of a smile.

"That's a coincidence," replied Jaune. "So do I."

"The match is a draw," said Goodwitch, who was remaining faithful to her task as referee. This bout followed none of the rules of a standard spar, since the amount of Aura both fighters had was too large to be measured by the arena's systems. She couldn't even declare either of them a winner due to ring out, since the ring itself had been destroyed.

It was an absurd battle.

Yet, it had been, for lack of another word, beautiful.

Somehow, seeing it made her feel proud.

Jaune had proven himself a trustworthy ally, and something about Jotaro Kujo from Shade seemed honourable and true as well.

"Let this serve as a shining example of what you should all strive to be as Hunters. Stand proud, and fight!" she said.

One by one, the students clapped, and soon, applause broke out in full, many standing up to show their respect to the two warriors, who clasped hands.

"This was fun," said Jaune. "I wish your old man could be here to see this."

"Yeah," replied Jotaro, smiling, with just a hint of moisture in his eyes. "I wish that too."

As they walked off the arena floor and into the stands together, Jotaro said one other thing.

"Jaune… you have a family here. Treasure them. But one day… you should visit your blood too."

Jaune closed his eyes, acknowledging the validity of the advice.  
"Yeah. I will."

Elsewhere in the stands, Lily Arc had witnessed the entire match, carefully observing everything and analysing it. She was seated right at the back, so no one saw, but she wiped away a tear quickly.

_You've gotten so strong, Brother. You overcame your fate. Well done. I too, won't hold back when I face you. _

She had seen him fight twice now. Once, when he effortlessly incapacitated Qrow Branwen and Winter Schnee. And now, a second time, when he fought to a tie against a far more formidable opponent, Jotaro Kujo.

She had done her research on Kujo, and on Hokuto Shin Ken as well.

Physically, Jaune far outstripped most Hunters. But it was his knowledge and skill that took that power and made it an unstoppable force.

_Pressure point manipulation to alter bodily functioning in a variety of ways. And the ability to project his Aura and strike from a distance. _

Jaune was indeed powerful.

It was a little known fact, but Winter _had _sparred with Lily at Atlas.

The record was 3-0 in Lily's favour.

_You're powerful, brother. But that won't be enough to beat me._

She got up and walked away.

In the meantime, Jaune and Jotaro made their way over to RWBY and the rest of JNPR.

"That was an incredible fight," said Pyrrha.

"I hate to say it, but you guys are on a different level. What sort of roids are they feeding the people at Shade?" asked Yang.

"Nothing. They aren't feeding any roids," replied Blake, who was close to Sun, also from Shade Academy.

"That. Was. Awesome!" said Ruby.

The young girl had recovered quickly from seeing her uncle defeated. She was still young, with an indomitable spirit. Seeing stronger and stronger people only made her want to improve instead of intimidating her. She was back to her regular self now, and that meant she was trying to learn how exactly the two boys were able to fight like they did.

"It was like, you were hitting him, but you weren't actually hitting him? How exactly did you do that? Is your Semblance some kind of telekinesis?"

She zoomed around Jotaro, rapidly shooting off question after question.

Jaune saw the warning signs. A vein was starting to pulse in Jotaro's temple.

As the Shinken had learnt long ago, Jotaro's pet peeve was, in his own words, "noisy women".

He decided to intervene before the situation got out of hand.

"Ah, it's a secret," he said, gently steering Ruby away from him. "Can't go around giving it away now, can we?"

It was at times like this that Alucard served as a natural deterrent. Though his manners were perfect when he wanted them to be, most humans experienced instinctive dread in his presence, since he was after all, a creature that was supposed to prey on humans, though he hadn't done so in a long time.

At the moment, however, he had other things to worry about.

Weiss still looked subdued and preoccupied. She had been that way since the meeting with Winter.

**The Previous Day:**

It was an awkward situation for Jaune, who tried not to squirm in his chair. Fighting Winter Schnee? Easy. Getting interviewed by her as a potential boyfriend for her younger sister? That was more complicated.

To make matters worse, Jaune was not even aware that Weiss had any such feelings towards him.

Weiss knew what her feelings were, but was aware that Jaune was too dense to have noticed.

Winter had seen that the two were close, and had concluded they might be dating, something she would not approve of until she got a better idea of his character.

And so, the three now sat, of course, in Williams' restaurant. Because budget.

"This is where you dine these days," Winter said, with mild distaste.

"It's actually really good," Weiss replied, defending the establishment.

Jaune silently thanked her.

Weiss really had changed a lot since her arrival at Beacon.

"Hmph. We shall see," said Winter, not impressed so far.

They ordered, and waited for the food to arrive. As they did, Winter decided to open the interview.

"Now. Explain."

No beating around the bush.

"Well," said Weiss. "This is Jaune Souther. He's a first year student at Beacon, and in my class. And we're… _friends._" She said the last word with a bit of a struggle, since she wanted to be much more than that.

That fact didn't go unnoticed by Winter.

"Really, a friend? Is this true?" she said, looking right into Jaune's eyes. It was a technique she had often used. It tended to unsettle people, causing them to give an involuntary reaction if they were lying.

Of course, since Jaune really did think of Weiss as a friend, he wasn't lying when he replied.

"Yes, it is," he said. This whole situation was uncomfortable. He believed Winter had some kind of misconception regarding his intentions towards Weiss, and he wanted to clear it up.

"Is that so? You seem awfully close for _friends_." Winter uttered the word in a clear tone of sarcasm.

This time, she looked right into Weiss' eyes, and got a reaction.

Weiss flinched slightly and looked away, unable to maintain eye contact.

_Yes. She's hiding something._

"That's all we are, Winter. Hahaha, why would we be anything else? My my, you're being paranoid, sister, hahaha…"

She laughed nervously as she attempted to distract from the topic.

Winter, of course, figured it out immediately.

The situation was the exact opposite of what she had been afraid of.

It wasn't Jaune who trying to get into Weiss' pants.

It was the other way around.

She smiled tightly at her sister.

"I see. Well, that's good to know," she said aloud.

_We will speak of this in private_, her eyes said, a message Weiss received, causing her to gulp nervously.

**Present Time:**

"Hey. You okay?"

A voice broke into Weiss' thoughts, and she looked at Jaune, whose face was filled with concern. While that made her happy, she had no way of telling him the truth.

Which was, that he was the very reason she wasn't okay.

Specifically, because her sister would most probably do her best to make sure nothing further developed between the two of them.

After the three of them had left the diner, Winter had texted Weiss and told her to come to the guest quarters in the evening. That meeting was today.

Winter had always been strict, and held herself and others to the highest standards, so Weiss had no doubt she would question her until she found out exactly what her intentions were. Since childhood, the younger sister had looked up to her for her strength, intelligence, ideals and ability to forge her own identity, separate from the Schnee name.

Weiss came to Beacon to achieve the same thing: an identity of her own. Freedom.

She had always been intimidated by Winter, and that fact hadn't changed, even now.

"I- I'm…" she paused, and decided to ask, even if indirectly, how Jaune would have dealt with such a situation. "Have you never had someone you wanted to make proud? And no matter how hard you tried, it was never enough. They'd keep seeing you as useless, and you'd be too scared to show them you're not."

She stopped when she realized how ridiculous it sounded to ask Jaune Souther if he had ever felt useless.

"What am I saying? Of course, you wouldn't-"

"I've felt that way."

Jaune's childhood had been like that. Born without the more obvious talents of his sisters, he had constantly felt like the runt of the litter, and felt like a lesser person because he wasn't able to keep up with them. And no matter how hard he had tried, he had never been able to win the approval of his father.

But all that had changed, when he had left home.

"You have to realize, admiration can blind you. Follow logic, and instinct. Your instincts will always show you the path to grow. Focus on your own growth, and not on making anyone else proud. That will mean going against the person you look up to. There will be confrontation. But the moment you face that person without backing down… is the moment you leave behind your former shell. From a child scrambling after others… to a woman who decides her own path in life. And… thinking of it: would you rather win someone's approval… or stand next to them as an equal?"

Weiss stared at him, reminded once more how easy it was to be distracted by one aspect of him, and ignore the others.

Before he became the Godfist, he was simply a boy who ran away from home.

_I see now. This is why he wants to fight Lily, isn't it?_

Suddenly, the reason behind the strength in those fists became clear.

The callouses on the knuckles and palms shone, visible like never before, along with countless small scars on his arms and chest, that Weiss had not paid mind to before.  
These were testaments to his effort. The blood, sweat and tears he must have paid to get where he was.

He had stopped seeking approval, and instead, focused on growing. And now, with the strength he had gained, he would show them he was worthy… by surpassing them all.

"You're something else," Weiss said, shaking her head. But she was smiling.

_This _was a goal she could believe in, and give herself to, without regret.

A goal not based on anyone else' expectations, but her own desires.

_I want to be strong. I don't care about being the strongest. But, enough to live free, on my own terms. That's all. And, in the life I see… I want you by my side._

_Yeah, I'll fight for that goal._

_Even if it means against Winter._

"Jaune, thanks."

"Eh? It's nothing much. Just some ramblings."

"No. You help a lot more than you think."

The group walked away together.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched by a certain trio of infiltrators.

"Hey, hey, this is no joke. Are these guys for real?" said Mercury, who had sweat rolling down his face. "There's no way we can take them. And, no offence, Cinder… but as you are, you can't either…"

"You think I don't know that, fool?" grunted the woman. Her mind was racing. Since coming to Beacon, she had heard rumours of the so-called Shinken, the Godfist. But hearing and seeing were two different things.

The power in those fists was beyond unreal. And he hadn't been anywhere _near_ going all out.

Even with half the power of a Maiden, she didn't stand a chance.

A tale she had once heard from Salem ran through her mind.

Long ago, in the age of gods, when the Twins had quarreled, a _third_ being had come to Remnant.

_**Asura, God of Strength, Wrath, War and Martial Arts.**_ ****

Seeing the chaos in the world, he had soundly defeated both Twins, and admonished them for their irresponsibility. Before leaving, he had left behind the seed of his power.

Everything after this was legend… but it was said that this power was sublimated in the form of a way of fighting and a spirit… that were invincible.

The possessor of that art inherited the spirit, and the power of the God of War.

Salem had gone on to speak of the only human she had met in her existence who had been able to stand undaunted before her.

That man too had borne the title of Shinken, given to him by the people… and his name had been…

"Kenshiro. That boy is Kenshiro's disciple, I know it."

"Kenshiro?" asked Emerald, the name unfamiliar to her.

"Never mind," said Cinder. "Stay focused on the mission. We don't need to fight them yet. Only obtain the power hidden under Ozpin's tower. Once I have that, the boy will be no issue."

Emerald was less sure about that.

Jaune alone was one thing.

But that Jotaro had been every bit his equal.

**Later that evening:**

Weiss knocked on the door of the room she had been asked to come to.

"Enter," said a voice from within.

She pushed open the door and entered, closing it behind her. The room was similar to RWBY's dorm, but far more Spartan in its setup. There was only a bed, a closet and a study table, along with some chairs. On one of these say Winter Schnee, looking at her expectantly.

"Come, sit," she said.

Weiss took one of the vacant chairs and sat down.

"Now, then, Weiss. Given that it is just the two of us here, let us speak openly. Your feelings for this Jaune… _Souther_" (she forced the word out unwillingly) "are deeper than simply platonic, are they not?"

By going right to the point, her intention was to break down Weiss' determination at the start, exposing any possible hesitation. If one hesitated, they were unsure. If Weiss was unsure of this boy, then there was no way Winter would allow her to get involved any further with him.

To the utter shock of the elder sister, however, when Weiss answered, her voice was strong and confident.

"Yes, they are," she said, without any stuttering or pauses, clearly, loudly.

Winter frowned.

"I see. So what exactly _do _you think of him?"

"He is an outstanding man. The best I have seen."

This was not going according to plan. Winter had expected to talk Weiss out of a poor life choice. She had expected to talk some sense into the well-meaning, but naive younger sister she was so fond of.

Instead, she was meeting a young woman who was making her own decisions.

One who spoke with conviction, with the voice and eyes of one who has made her choice, and is ready to face whatever it brings, one way or another.

_Absurd. She must be taken in by his strength. This foolish girl… can't she see? There's more to life than combat ability._

"The best man you have seen? Because he is the strongest? The best fighter?"

Weiss shook her head.

"No."

Memories ran through her. Everything she knew of Jaune, everything she had witnessed, and everything he had told her.

The words came on their own.

"Even if he were the weakest man on Remnant, he would still be the best. He values life, and is willing to fight for it, even it means being hated."

She remembered him taking on Cardin, and subsequently, the Anti-Faunus thugs.

"He can admit when he is wrong, and is willing to see past the mistakes of others, and give them a chance to be better.

She remembered that he had believed in CRDL, and stood by them, something no one else had done.

"He has genuine respect for others, and no arrogance or self-superiority."

She remembered the countless times she had seen him spend time with the crew at Beacon, or the town docks, and even his friendship with Williams, who ran his favourite diner.

"Above all, he is kind, and compassionate."

She remembered the very first time he had truly spoken with her.

The time he had come and spoken a kind word after Ruby had been chosen as leader, and not her.

He had seen right past her fears and insecurities. It didn't mean he knew everything about her. It didn't mean he understood her completely. But he had been able to see her for what she wanted to be, and reminded her that that person was worth striving to become.

"Yes," said Weiss, smiling now. "It's funny. I used to think courtesy, politeness and speech indicated character. After all, one who took the time to work on those aspects must be self-aware, at least to some extent. And of course, the measure of a person was how well they could keep their true intentions hidden. How well they could work in silence. Only a fool would allow the world to see him for what he truly is."

She paused, and her smile grew bigger.

"There's no such thing. The so-called common people possess as much nobility as us. In their own quiet way, they strive day in and day out, with dignity, perhaps resenting their lot in life, but walking forwards all the same."

Her voice grew stronger, and her eyes shone with determination.

"Jaune Souther has more actual nobility than the blood of every Atlesian aristocrat combined. But I could care less about that. He is a good man. Honest and true. Smart, but never scheming. Brave, but never cruel. You want proof of his character? He's the most powerful being at Beacon, and he has never used that power to harm others."

She looked Winter in the eye.

"I… consider him much more than a friend. And I'll find out exactly how much more. I won't leave his side. Now… or after I graduate Beacon."

Winter's eyes widened.

_What happened to my little sister?_

_I left you when you were a fish who could barely swim._

_Now… you're almost a dragon._

Weiss was not a child anymore. Therefore, Winter could not talk down to her anymore. It didn't matter that her skills as a Huntress left much to be desired.

Before all those things, came simple courage and resolve, and Weiss was showing that.

_All right, let's put your guts to the test, then._

"So your choice is made? You are ready to deal with the consequences?"

"Yes."

"Then give up your inheritance. Stop relying on the allowance that man sends you."

Weiss did not falter, and Winter nodded in approval.

_Good. She isn't scared. The fight is just beginning though._

"You desire freedom, do you not? Don't let that freedom be tainted by dependence on that man who calls himself our father. Win a life for yourself. One that you'll spend with this boy who means so much to you."

Weiss nodded.

"Yes… that makes sense. But I'm still in school… how do I provide for myself?"

"Well, Beacon handles lodging, food and other necessities, so you're at an advantage for now. Once you graduate, you'll make a living as a Huntress. But in the meantime, there is a way you can earn enough to not depend on anyone."

Weiss' eyes widened.

"Really?! How? How do I do that."

Winter smiled.

"Win the Vytal Festival, and take the prize money for yourself."

_Yes. Yes, that works. Everything fits together. I can do this._

She grabbed her elder sister's hands in gratitude.

"Thank you, Winter."

"Oh, don't thank me yet. You and Souther aren't on the same team, remember? To win the prize… you have to beat him."

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

"EEEEEHHHHHH?!"

_Ah, yes_, thought Winter. _There she is. It's good to know there is still some of the old Weiss in her, or she'd become a stranger. _

"Good luck, little sister. I will be cheering you on."

"But that's impossible! I can't beat him! _You_ can't beat him," Weiss protested.

"True, I cannot. But you can."

"_How?! _He's stronger, faster, more durable, more skilled, has sharper senses, more techniques at his disposal, shows no signs of mental weakness, and likely has some insane hidden Semblance."

"Ah, Weiss. Always looking at every situation from the wrong perspective. Well, I'll leave it to you to figure it. Good luck."

It was clear ending to the meeting.

As Weiss turned to leave, Winter spoke.

"Take this with you."

She held out a leather jacket that was indeed positively sparkling.

"Got this cleaned up at the best launderers' in town. _After_ I got that drunken idiot to scrub it first, of course. Give it to Souther with my best wishes."

Weiss nodded and took that jacket, beginning to leave.

"Really though, I did not think you were into large men with muscles."

"You don't get to judge my fetishes!" Weiss shouted quickly as she dashed out, blushing furiously.

**Meanwhile, Elsewhere:**

_Sigh, what's he want with me this time?_

Jaune was headed to Ozpin's office yet again. He had received a text asking him to come.

_Can't I get a little bit of downtime?_

The familiar elevator carried him up to the office, and the doors slid open. He walked in. The only other figure present besides Ozpin… was Lily.

"Hey hey, brother. Guess you got this VIP-only invite too, huh?"

"More like dirty-work only invite," Jaune quipped.

"Nah, nah, this isn't the usual routine", Lily assured him. "I think…"

"She is correct, Mr Souther," said Ozpin. "It is for a task, but one far more in keeping with your position here as a student."

That surprised Jaune.

Well, it wasn't an unpleasant change, getting called to the headmaster's office for regular school stuff for once. But then, Lily was here too.

"So? What's the deal?"

"Well, you see, Mr Arc. The tournament ball is in a week, as you know."

"Uh-huh."

"Now, it is customary for alcohol to be served at this event, although those below legal age are not permitted to partake of the same."

"Uh… ok, I guess."

Jaune had no idea where he was going with this.

"Where do I come into the picture here?"

"Well," Ozpin looked slightly shifty and awkward. "There has been a little bit of an issue. You see, normally, we get professionals to handle the bar during the event. This year, however, due to *ahem* unfortunate circumstances, the staff we normally hire from a local establishment will be unavailable."

**Elsewhere:**

Junior was nursing several broken bones.

"I hate that Xiao Long girl."

**Back in Ozpin's Office:**

"In any case, the long and the short of it is that we have managed to procure the alcohol, but we will require someone to run the bar. Their duties would include mixing and serving drinks."

At this point, Jaune had a horrible idea of what was coming.

"Nope. Not going to happen. Out of the question."

Ozpin continued as if he hadn't heard him at all.

"I've heard somewhere that Hokuto Shin Ken practitioners can accurately guess the exact composition of a drink, along with its components, and reproduce the same if they are given the ingredients. Would you not say this is an opportunity to put that skill to the test? I do understand, of course, if this is just a rumour, and Hokuto Shin Ken isn't actually capable of a feat such as that…"

Ozpin slyly watched for his response, and was rewarded with the sight of a vein bulging in Jaune's temple.

"Are you questioning the 1800 years of the Divine Fist? Hokuto Shin Ken… _**is invincible!**_ I'll mix drinks like none of you have ever had the privilege of experiencing. I'll bring forth the liquor of the heavens themselves!"

"So easy to manipulate," muttered Lily.

"Excellent!" said Ozpin. "The required attire is a formal suit, and one has already been custom made for you. It will be sent to you tomorrow morning. Please try it out and let us know in case any alterations are required."

Jaune was about to leave, when he remembered something.

"Why is she here?" he asked, pointing at Lily.

"Ah. Well, you see, the tournament ball not only has a bar, but also an entire section dedicated to various games of chance, which take place one after the other."

"Alcohol and gambling. We are in a school, right? And not a Yakuza film?"

"*Ahem. This year, that section will be run by Lily Arc, who has agreed to provide her assistance to us."

Jaune looked at his sister, who was grinning broadly and holding up a peace sign.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Hey, someone's got to make sure the house doesn't lose."

Jaune looked at Ozpin.

"Please don't tell me this is how Beacon gets its funding."

Ozpin checked his watch.

"Well, would you look at the time. I am running rather late for another appointment, so we'll cut our meeting short for today. I look forward to seeing you at the ball."

With that, Ozpin all but sprinted out of his own office.

"That irresponsible troll," said Jaune. "How does someone like this become headmaster?"

"Lots and lots of weed, brother," replied Lily.

Jaune found himself laughing in spite of himself, and she joined in.

For a brief moment, they were children again, bonding over some ridiculous bug or glitch in a game they were playing together.

The moment passed quickly.

"I won't be taking it easy on you in the tournament," said Jaune.

"Neither should you. If you don't bring your absolute best, you won't stand a chance."

The rest of the week passed quickly. Classes reduced workload a lot, since most teachers knew that students would have their minds on other things, mostly to do with potential dates.

The day of the ball arrived, and nervous excitement had hit a fever pitch.

Yang and Ruby had been assigned the task of helping organize the event, though most of this was handled by Ozpin and Goodwitch. Weiss had been offered the chance as well, but she had declined.

She was far too busy psyching herself up for what she planned to do during the date.

Some would call it dramatic, but this was her first pseudo-proper date with Jaune, and she couldn't think of a better time to end his misconceptions, and reveal her feelings to him.

Classes were off for the day and the next, and she would have loved to spend the morning with him, but it seemed… wrong to meet up before the actual date. In a way, it would ruin the anticipation.

So, an anxious morning of trying to pass the time ensued. She read course books, classic fiction, and even some of Blake's smut in an attempt to distract herself. The last of those proved to be a bad idea, as she was now stuck with images of doing the same things with Jaune as the couples in those books.

_Arrrrgghhh… why am I acting like some kind of lovestruck teen? Have to get my act together! Love is war, and the one who enters the battlefield unprepared will die! _

She sat down and did some breathing exercises, regaining some sense of calm.

_Now. Just nine hours to go. I can do this. I can totally do this._

**Meanwhile…**

"Jaune, why are you doing push ups?"

"The question", said Jaune, speaking while pumping out reps, "Is why you aren't doing push ups, Ren. One should never neglect bodyweight training. I mean, you want to look good for Nora, right?"

Ren groaned.

"We've been over this. We aren't dating."

Jaune pushed himself to his feet.

"The hell is wrong with you? How can you have an amazing girl like that interested in you and not notice?"

Ren glared at him, stopping himself from trying to choke him out with difficulty.

_The fucking irony of hearing it from you, of all people_, he thought.

"Uh, I'm right here, you know," said Nora, from the bed.

"Hello, Nora," said Jaune.

"Hi."

He turned his attention back towards Ren.

"As I was saying, you gotta make some effort, or there won't be any progress?"

"Oh, for the love of- you know what? Just own up and admit that you're nervous."

"Nervous? Me? Impossible. I don't get nervous! I'm cooler than ice."

Jaune made an exaggerated pose. It appeared Jotaro's influence was starting to show itself now that he was in Vale.

Ren sighed.

"Look, you can try to hide it all you want, but it's clear as day that you're excited for your date with Weiss. Why can't you just come out and admit it?"

"That's…"

Jaune took a deep breath.

How _did _he feel?

He was excited. It was impossible for him not to be.

Weiss was, in every way, an incredible person. She was strong, clever, brave, determined, and had a heart. Her determination and unwavering support over the past semester had touched him.

Slowly but surely, she had proved he could trust her. He no longer felt butterflies in his stomach like he did when he had first met her. It was replaced by a stronger feeling. A sense of warmth in his heart.

It leapt every time he saw her.

He was _happy_ when he was with her.

In so many ways, she was the friend he had never had before. No matter how difficult it got, he knew she would always be by his side. Knowing he could always count on her gave her a sense of security and peace. Jaune did not associate home with a place. He thought of it as people one belonged with.

Yet, Weiss was a girl. And the fact that she was extraordinarily attractive did not escape his notice. His earlier crush was gone, but something stronger was in its place. He was still attracted to her. But now, she was also a person he trusted and respected.  
But for Jaune, who had never been in a relationship before, or even interacted with girls beyond what was strictly necessary (barring his family, who didn't count), it was difficult to confidently believe that she might think of him that way. In the absence of any such statement, he did not want to assume anything and develop hopes that would be dashed.

"She's just a friend," he said aloud.

Three simultaneous snorts were heard in the room.

"It's as if he put all his points in Combat Perception, and saved nothing for Social."

"Density to rival a black hole. How are you not crushing this room right now?"

"You have to look at it from a different perspective. One where your head is not up your ass."

All three of his teammates gave their honest opinions on the matter.

"Thanks, guys," said Jaune. "Very helpful."

**That Night. Vytal Festival Tournament Ball:**

The event had started off without a hitch. All preparations were done right, and people were starting to arrive. Most looked around in wonder at the ambient lighting as they took in the music.

Jaune checked himself in the mirror one final time. The suit Ozpin had sent indeed fit perfectly, neither tight nor loose. It was also of a cut that emphasized his physique, making his wide shoulders and strong frame stand out. The blazer and trousers were black, while the shirt was white. A bow tie was worn under the collar. For this occasion, Jaune had swept back his hair, making him look considerably more like the legendary Nanto warrior whose name he had adopted.

Satisfied with his appearance, he headed out.

_Well, here we go._

The rest of JNPR had already left. Ren and Nora had expectedly gone together, and Pyrrha had gone with Jotaro frigging Kujo of all people.

_She took my advice about seeking out strong people and facing challenges. Asking out Jotaro is no mean feat._

Closing the door to his own dorm, he walked across the hallway and knocked on the door opposite.  
It was opened, revealing Yang, who was in a black dress that did an excellent job of showing off her voluptuous body and considerable assets. She looked him up and down, and whistled slightly.

"Wow. You didn't hold back at all, did you?"

"Thanks. You look pretty good yourself. Is Weiss in?"

"She is indeed," said Yang, smirking. Turning, she called into the dorm. "Hey, Ice Queen. Your date's here!"

She moved aside as footsteps approached, and Jaune got his first look at Weiss in her attire for the evening.

Weiss had stayed true to her style, wearing a white off-the-shoulder dress with red accents. Unlike usual, her silver hair was tied in a different style, falling luxuriously down her back. While Weiss was not as generously endowed as Yang or Blake, it didn't matter at all. Her slender figure, a combination of nature's gifts and her own efforts, curved out into surprisingly full hips, creating a sensuous contour that Jaune could not take his eyes off. The dress cut to one side, revealing one of her long, shapely legs from the thigh down, firm from training. And there was her perfect face, which always looked like it had been sculpted with love by God. Tonight, it was radiant, as she smiled without reserve at Jaune, her blue eyes sparkling with joy. She hadn't used any make-up. None was needed, or wanted.

The full force of that smile hit Jaune harder than any punches in recent memory.

"You look… amazing," he said, before he could stop himself.

Weiss' cheeks grew slightly red, but she didn't break eye contact.

"You don't look shabby yourself, Successor."

Jaune remained standing there, not really having any idea of what to do next. He had never attended any formal events of this sort before. From what he vaguely remembered of films he had seen as a kid, the couple was supposed to link arms.

Not sure if he was doing it right, he extended one arm from his body slightly, and Weiss took it eagerly. He could feel her chest against himself now, and she was very close. He realized for the first time how warm she was. It made him instinctively want to pull her even closer, and wrap around her protectively. She smelled amazing too. Normally, a Successor to the Divine Fist could have identified every component of that natural smell. But at the moment, Jaune couldn't, and didn't even care to try.

The experience of new sensations was not limited to Jaune either.

Weiss had seen Jaune's formidable body before. His leather vest typically exposed the hard cuts of his upper pectorals, and the entirety of his arms. She was linked to one of those arms now, and it felt even bigger than it looked from afar, nearly twice the thickness of her own. She instinctively felt the muscle under the sleeve. It was firm, and felt strong. Dependable. An arm that could provide, defend, and fight for her. She also realized just how tall Jaune was, her head barely reaching his shoulders. She wished they weren't going to some ball at all: that there would be no people, so she could pull closer to that massive frame and allow him to hold her.

"Well, shall we?" asked Weiss.

"Yeah, let's go," Jaune replied.

The two of them proceeded to the Main Hall, where the event was being held, and entered through the door together.

"They didn't spare any effort, it seems," said Weiss, looking around.

"Yeah, because this is where there illegal earnings come from," Jaune replied.

"What?"

"Nothing. I said I'm happy they're playing GreenDay."

The space in the centre had been cleared out to function as a dance floor. The long tables were close to the walls, laden with food, and there were several tables provided for people to dine on as well, as long as separate chairs for those who simply wanted to rest and enjoy without partaking in any dancing. And as Ozpin had said, there was a table around which several older people who appeared to be business bigwigs were hovering.

That table was under the charge of Lily Arc… who was in her armour even on this night.

_That's crazy… but in a weird way, I can respect it. _

There was also a bar, that was currently unmanned.

It then occurred to Jaune that he had completely forgotten to tell Weiss that he would need to be the one handling that.

"There doesn't appear to be anyone behind that bar," Weiss noted, her eyes following his to it.  
"Ah, uh…. That's because I'm supposed to be the one there."

Weiss blinked a few times.

"What?"

"I'm supposed to be the bartender for the night."

"... Oh, I see."

It was hard for Weiss to keep the disappointment from her voice.

She had been looking forward to this for a while, only to find that even on this night, his attention wouldn't be completely on her. Or at all, if he was going to be manning a counter by himself.

Jaune mentally swore.

He had been taken in by Ozpin's provocation, and not been cool and calm enough to remember that he already had plans for the night.

"It'll only be for a little while," he said to Weiss. "It's not a paid gig or anything, and I never said I'd be there the whole evening."

"But that would mean compromising, wouldn't it? That just doesn't seem right, from you of all people."

"But I-"

He stopped, not knowing what to say. Weiss wasn't looking at him.

"Go on, do what you have to. I'll be fine."

She walked away without giving him a chance to say anything further.

Jaune watched her go with a growing feeling of indescribable sadness and frustration.

_Of course I can't have fun. Why the fuck did I even expect any differently?_

Mood soured, he walked over to the bar and casually flipped himself over it to stand behind it, all regard for a pretense of what people called "manners" gone. Taking off his blazer, he stuffed it under the table and rolled back the sleeves of his shirt.

_Bring it on._

  
In frustration, he turned around and began to inspect the ingredients he'd have to work with, and picked out a few choice ones.

Though he recognized none of the brand names, his senses couldn't be deceived, and through a combination of colour, odour and behaviour, he quickly determined what was what, and effectively estimated a good mix. He proceeded to create the concoction in a small shot glass.

"Well well. A bartender who takes the initiative before anyone even asks for anything. I like it."

Jaune looked up to see Professors Port and Oobleck.

He was in no mood for conversation, so he merely shot them a sullen glance instead of replying.

"Ah, it appears he's not in a good mood," said Oobleck, speaking quickly as usual.

"I recognize that look. You, my boy, are experiencing trouble with women, are you not?"

Jaune groaned.

"Look, just order something or go have gun elsewhere. You're jamming up the traffic here."

Port laughed loudly.

"Well said. All right then, I'll have whatever it is you've just made."

"And I'll have one too," said Oobleck.

Jaune looked at them cautiously.

"You sure? I mixed this one for myself, and I've got a stronger resistance than most…"

"Oh, I'm confident we can handle at least a shot each."

"Your choice," said the Shinken. Creating a second shot of the same, he slid both glasses forward towards the first two customers.

"What is this called?" Oobleck asked, ever the curious one.

Jaune considered the question. It was just something he had come up with on the spot. Yet, he would need to name the drink. Since he had fixed it up for himself as a way to temporarily forget how massively he'd screwed up this evening, he decided to go with…

"_**Star of Sorrow!"**_

"Oho! Unusual name! He put his feelings of regret for the woman he lost into it," said Port, far too cheerfully for the occasion. Jaune sincerely hoped no one made the mistake of inviting him to a funeral.

"Well, cheers," said Oobleck.

Clinking glasses slightly, both of them downed their drinks in one gulp.

The burning sensation of alcohol rushed down their throats, as expected. Apart from that, there was a refreshing feel to the drink, which went down smoothly. And an unusual flavour… bittersweet.

"That's… curious. I'm certain I was in a good mood when I came here."

"This… overwhelming regret. Similar to what I feel when I nick coffee from Ozpin's office…"

The two professors looked much more sombre now, walking away with a look on their faces that suggested they were reconsidering their life choices.

Jauned sighed as they left. This was going to be a long evening.

Customers proceeded to come, their number and frequency quickly increasing as whispers spread of the bartender capable of creating concoctions that were magic.

Finally, when the dancing began in proper, and most people took the floor, Jaune got a breather. He sat down on the table, watching disconsolately.

"Rough night?" said a familiar voice.

"Not in the mood for you right now," Jaune replied.

"Oh, come on. It can't be that bad, right?"

With most people dancing, Lily had gotten a break from presiding over the gambling as well. She performed a trick with several high value coins as she stood leaning against the bar.

"Four million lien?" Jaune raised an eyebrow. "No one would be stupid enough to fall for tricks long enough to lose that much. Just how good are you at gambling?"

"At Atlas, they used to say I have the devil's luck. Did you know: the money I made this way is greater than the Arc fortune?"

Jaune couldn't help but laugh a little at that.

It was somehow satisfying to hear that she had been successful after walking away from the family.

"Does the old man know?"

"Nah. We haven't spoken in years. Things were never quite the same after you left."

"I see."

Neither of them said anything for a while.

"You left to get stronger. Trained under someone called Kenshiro, didn't you? I'm glad it worked out for you."

"Thanks. I never asked… but why did _you_ leave? It's not like you had a reason to."

"I did. I had my reasons. Graduated Combat School early, and got scouted by Atlas, who wanted me to enlist. It was a chance to leave that place, so I took it."

"You in the military, huh? You know, I don't believe it, even after I've seen it."

"Hahaha, fair enough."

Once more, a brief silence followed.

"It was sort of strange. I didn't really have a goal, other than getting away from them. Maybe it's a good thing I went to Atlas. They gave me something to do. Something to give my life for."

"It's strange now, to hear you speak like that. Didn't you want to be the best?"

"That was a long time ago, brother. You and I both know about The Illusion."

Jaune nodded. It was something Kenshiro had told him about, and something his own experience had confirmed.

"There is no such thing as 'strongest' or 'best'. It's an illusion, and the closer one gets to such a state, the farther it slips away."

Lily nodded.

"Everything you truly need… is right here."

Jaune looked at her.

She was staring at the people on the dance floor, with a look on her face he had never seen before. It was unlike her usual, confrontational, sly gaze. She looked sad. Almost wistful.

"You have some good friends here. No, maybe that's incorrect. You did the impossible. Found a new family. Hold on to them."

For once, Jaune found himself nodding to something she had said.

"Yeah. That's the plan."

Jaune noticed that she was even carrying her oversized sword, which was strapped to her back as always.

"Doesn't it get tiring to carry that around everywhere?"

"Hahahaha! Sometimes, I guess?"

She turned to leave, but offered one final piece of advice.

"You should believe in that girl a little more. Her feelings aren't weak that she'd leave over one mistake."

She shot a glance at Jaune, and winked.

"You can get away with letting this date be a failure. But I'm pretty sure you can do better than that."

With that, she left.

Jaune watched her go, with wide eyes.

_Heh. To think, a day would come, when you would give good advice._

_But… she's right._

_I _AM _better than this._

This evening was supposed to be spent with Weiss. The ball came second. But since he had accepted, he'd show them exactly how powerful Hokuto Shin Ken was.

Going over to the bar, he flipped over it, and grabbed several bottles.

"All right, listen up!" he shouted loud, so that everyone heard. "This is the _only_ drink that's going to be available this evening. Take it or leave it. I guarantee it'll satisfy. If it doesn't, I leave Beacon tomorrow."

Murmurs began to go around at his audacious challenge.

Normally, it'd be considered a breach of etiquette. But with the Vytal Festival looming, everyone's competitive spirit was awake, and they welcomed his fire.

"All right, big guy. We'll take ya up on that."

"Yeah. Get us drunk if ya can!"

Several shouts of similar statements rang out.

Jaune delivered a steely gaze, then flipped four bottles into the air simultaneously, all of them open.

While they were still going up, he prepared the vessel for the mix. Flawlessly, he caught each bottle on its way down, and poured the exact right quantity of its contents into the vessel before putting it away safely. In this way, the constituents were ready. Holding the vessel with both hands, he began to shake it, faster and faster, with growing force.

"Mix, mix, mix, mix ,mix, mix, mix, mix, mix, MIX!"

Finally, the onlookers were dazzled by a momentary glimmer of light from the vessel.

"Hey, did that just?"

"No way…"

"This is some kind of trick, right?"

Finished with the preparation, Jaune laid out an entire row of shot glasses all over the bar, and poured a miniscule amount of the concoction into each. In this manner, he prepared a total of one hundred glasses in five minutes.

"Oi oi, this is some kind of joke, right? There's no way that tiny amount is going to get anyone drunk!"

The statement came from a large, middle aged man in Atlas formal wear.  
Jaune looked at him.

"Say that _after _you've tried it. But be warned. This is not for the faint of heart."

The man glared at him.

"Huh! I'll show you how I can hold my liquor. Watch this!"

In one smooth motion, the man grabbed a glass and poured its contents down his throat.

He looked triumphantly at Jaune.

"Hahahaha! You see that? Not even a burn on the way down. You call this a cocktail? What is this? Cheap soda?"

"You don't get it, do you?" said Jaune, exuding a menacing aura.

The man backed away a step, intimidated.

Jaune continued.

"You are already drunk."

"What?"

Right on cue, the man felt a pleasant numbness come over him. His balance weakened, and he struggled to stay up.

"Wooaaaaah!"

Applause rang out from the entire ballroom. By the end, everyone's attention had been directed towards the spectacle.

_That should take care of that. If they finish all of that, there won't be a single person on their feet in this hall._

Duties done for the evening, Jaune looked around for Weiss, and was unable to spot her anywhere. He spread out his senses, and located her Aura outside. In the grounds. He dashed into motion, sprinting out of the room. Not bothering to use the door, he simply jumped out of one of the large open windows, landing gracefully below, to further applause from the crowd, which had taken to watching his exit.

Jaune couldn't hear them. His attention was focused entirely on one person. As he ran like the wind, he recognized the path his legs were leading him down.

Weiss' Aura was in the same part of the Beacon grounds where he had found her after the Initiation. Where she had sat alone, disconsolate at not being made the leader. That was the spot where they had had their first real conversation.

Within seconds, she was in his sight. He slowed and came to a stop.

Sitting alone, on that bench, she looked so small against the night sky. It was fitting in a way that her pale, snow-like visage was framed by its dark canvas.

For a moment, Jaune forgot to breathe, completely blown away by the sight.

But his senses returned as soon he noticed her red-rimmed eyes, and her forlorn face.

He felt an actual physical pain at having made her feel that way. At having made her sad, having caused her to be out here all alone, at a time when she should have been enjoying herself. At a time when she should have been happy.

_It meant that much to her? Just spending an evening with me?_

The thought seemed arrogant. It seemed illogical and impossible that spending time with him of all people would be that important to her.

But Jaune didn't care. At this moment, he only wanted to take away whatever was causing her pain.

He walked towards her. She hadn't noticed his presence yet, and soon, he was standing mere feet away from her.

"Weiss…"

She turned and looked up at the sound of his voice, and their eyes met.

Those eyes glittered slightly, trembling, wet with tears.

The Weiss who was always strong, always in control, always trying her best, had cried, and it was his fault.

Jaune felt terrible about it. Seeing the one person who had had his back and done everything to be there by his side was in pain, and he couldn't bear the sight of it.

Abandoning hesitation and doubt, he came forward and knelt in front of her before pulling her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"What are you sorry for?" she asked in a low voice.

"I-" his words stuck, but he forced himself to push past his fear. "I was supposed to spend this evening with you, wasn't I? And I screwed it up."

She said nothing.

"Weiss? I'm sorry. I know now that it meant a lot to you."

"But it didn't mean anything to you, did it?" she said in a tone devoid of emotion.

Jaune shook his head vehemently.

"It means everything to me!"

Weiss' hands gripped his shirt as she pushed him apart far enough for their eyes to meet.

"Then how could you just go and do something else! Did you not even bother remembering that we had plans? Was it not worth putting some time aside for? Or did you think you could just do whatever?"

"I-" He couldn't say anything. Her words stung.

He _had _been lax. They _did_ have plans.

And Weiss deserved better than this.

He had failed her here, and making excuses was unseemly.

"I didn't think that at all," he said softly. "But you're right. I was careless, and rude. I really screwed up this time. I failed entirely."

There is a specific expression that one only witnesses on the face of one who has lost. It was common at Beacon, with all the competition between students. One day you won, another you lost. Weiss had seen it on almost everyone's face. Ruby. Yang. Blake. Ren. Nora. Even Pyrrha. She had seen it many times on her own.

But she had never seen it on Jaune's face before.

Whether it was the Initiation, or standing up for Velvet, or fighting thugs, or the battle at the docks. Even against two extremely skilled Hunters. Jaune had never been daunted by the opponents put in front of him. Without fail, he had emerged victorious.

Until now.

He looked utterly defeated. For all his strength, skill and resolve, he was helpless here.

What made it even worse was that even in the mood Weiss was in, she hadn't lost sight of _who_ he was. That he was a boy who had stood by people when they had needed him, even if he had been hated for it. Whatever the need, if Jaune was capable of answering it, he had.

Seeing him like this only made the tears flow more. The evening had already become a trainwreck, and it was getting worse.

A number of feelings raged within Weiss.

Appreciation for how much of a stand-up guy he was, and resentment at the fact that that was precisely the reason why he had treated her well. It hurt and angered her to think that she was nothing special to him, and that he had been nice to her because that was how he was to everyone.

And thus, even knowing how unfair she was being, she couldn't help but let her anger out.

"So you won't even try to deny it? It's not even worth fighting to hold on to for you, is it?"

"That's not true-"

"Oh, bullshit, Jaune. Just cut it out, already. I don't want this regular, by-default kindness from you. Save your pity."

There was a flash of anger in Jaune's eyes.

At long last, after countless failed attempts via swords, hammers, axes, fists and bullets by many an aspiring Hunter, someone at Beacon had manages to get past his armour and land a scratch on him.

Weiss noticed it.

"What pity, exactly? I've never given you any pity. By-default kindness? What is that even supposed to mean? Are you listening to yourself right now?"

It was the first time Jaune was expressing anger on a personal level, over something done to him. It wasn't Jaune the Shinken who was lashing out, it was simply Jaune the boy, the person.

He continued.

"How do you even say something like that? I don't throw my trust around, you know this. You of all people know this. What, you think I treat you like everyone else? Is that what you think?"

"That is exactly what I think, Jaune!" Weiss responded, not backing down one inch now that push had come to shove. "If you're good to everyone, then how is what we have anything different? It's always the same. Always the same robotic fucking perfection. Like you have no flaws at all. Did you have to trade your soul for all that power? Is that it? Is that why I always feel like I'm the only one who actually cares about this? About us? Why it feels like I'm the only one trying?"

"Oh, that's absolutely rich, coming from the one who turned tail and ran just because I put someone in their place. Only one trying? Well, I guess your efforts are weak then."

Weiss' eyes widened.

That had been a low blow, bringing up the past like that. Just a few minutes ago, it would have been unthinkable to her that Jaune would pull a move like that.

She had managed to get under his skin to the extent that he would lash out that desperately, holding nothing back.

Somehow, it gave her a tiny feeling of happiness.

Simply knowing that at the very least, she meant enough to the boy to genuinely anger him.

So, she responded in kind.

"That would be a lot more convincing coming from someone who basically didn't ditch me after agreeing to spend the evening."

Jaune threw up his hands.

"I said I'm fucking sorry! What do you want? I'm tired of beating around the bush. Just tell me what you want already."

Weiss clenched her teeth, reaching out and grabbing his collar, hard.

"What I want? What I want? What the fuck do _you _want? All that power, and you're still a non-committal little bitch where it counts. What am I to you exactly? Why don't you tell me that?"

Jaune bared his own teeth.

"Oh, so now we're doing this, are we? Of course, put it all on me. Typical. You don't think I've been dealing with that pressure since day one?"

Weiss frowned.

"You've lost me. What the fuck are you even talking about now?"

Both teens, normally polite and well-spoken, had had their smooth exteriors well and properly shattered by now.

"You think this is easy for me?" said Jaune, all but shouting now. "How the fuck am I supposed to know what you're feeling? You think I've done this before? You really think I do this with everyone? Do I fucking look like I'm that smooth? Every second is difficult. I have to ask myself if I'm going too far. Whether I'm overstepping my bounds. Reading more into things than there actually is. Because if I screw up once, it's all over. Once it breaks, you can't put it back together. I know that. I know that better than anyone. So I do what I can. Do what I can to make sure I do right by you."

"Why? Why would you go to that extent? Why would you put yourself through that?"

"Because I care about you, all right?" Jaune snapped, finally at the end of his patience.

Even Weiss seemed taken aback by his outburst, and Jaune was breathing hard, visibly exhausted.

When he spoke again, it was in a much softer voice.

"I don't want to lose you, all right? And if that meant I had to compromise, to hold on to you, I'd rather do that. Yes, it's a bitch move, I know. Are you happy now? Happy you've broken through my 'robotic perfection'? This human enough for you?"

But Weiss wasn't paying any mind to his weak attempts at being passive aggressive.

All of her was focused on what he had said first.

"_I don't want to lose you. And if that meant I had to compromise, I'd rather do that."_

He didn't want to lose her.

He wanted to hold on to her badly enough that he'd compromise on his otherwise unshakable ideals.

He _did_ care about her. She _did _mean something to him.

The thought sent, after a long cold evening, a surge of warmth through her.

_Compromise, he said. What exactly is he compromising on? _

Weiss had a wild hope for what it might be.

Her heart was hammering in her chest.

She had already come this far.

And she had been prepared to lose from the start.

In fact, she had been the one putting things on the line.

It was about time he risked something too. If he couldn't even risk stating his true feelings and getting rejected, then she didn't want to be with him. No matter how good of a man he was. No matter how much she liked him.

"Fuck compromise," Weiss said. "Be honest for once. Just tell me: what am I to you, really?"

Put on the spot, Jaune now had only two choices.

To answer with the truth, or back down, and lose her forever.

If he answered with the truth, and it turned out she didn't feel the same way, it would end anyway.

Either way, there was no escape.

But pushed to this point, Jaune chose to go with the truth. If he was going down no matter what, then he'd go down having revealed who he truly was, and what he felt.

"I used to think you were the first real friend I made here," Jaune said.

A look of sheer hurt and betrayal crossed Weiss' face for a second, but Jaune wasn't done.

He shook his head.

"But looking back, I probably forced myself to think that. It seemed safe, in a way. If I'm honest, I don't think I ever saw you as a friend. Not really, anyway."

Weiss prepared to run. This was quite enough, and she was hurting inside. Just as she was about to do so, however, he said something that made her stay.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be attracted to friends that way. I kept thinking about you. But I guess I didn't want screw up what I already had. I liked the fact that you had my back. And… I enjoyed spending time with you. A lot. I wanted to know more. But, if you didn't feel the same way, I'd lose you. So I kept telling myself to play it safe."

He looked her in the eye.

"I guess that plan's out the window now."

He paused and took a deep breath, then said the words that changed everything.

"I like you, Weiss. As more than just a friend. And… I know I screw up a lot, but that's how I feel. If it isn't mutual, then I understand-"

"Just shut up already."

Before he had could react, she pressed her lips onto his. 


	19. Fates Collide

**Season 2 Chapter 5:**

**Fates Collide**

The sound of birds chirping in the morning gradually cut through the haze of sleep. Slowly, her mind cleared, and Lily Arc opened her eyes. For a while, she simply lay, looking up at the ceiling, breathing peacefully. She was somewhere in between now, on the precipice. Halfway between the sweet oblivion of sleep, and the struggle of waking life.

_Already, huh? Well, fuck._

With an effort, she lifted herself till she was sitting upright in the special bed she had been given in her dorm at Beacon. One by one, she removed the various wires plugged into her arms, abdomen, chest and neck, then took off those taped to her head. Finally, she removed the drip inserted into her wrist.

With no one else in the room, she allowed herself a moment to look at her own body. There was precious little other than bones and organs. Her muscles had shrunk, and her body fat was far lower than healthy for a human being. Just for a moment, she felt longing.

A longing for the health and strength she had once possessed. The body she had once had.

Just a moment, she looked back on the past, before tearing her mind away from it.

It was pointless to look back now.

She slid her legs off the bed, and stood on the ground, taking the time to steady herself.

Once she had done this, she breathed deeply, summoning forth her Aura, flooding her own body with it. The energy reinforced her brittle bones and supercharged her cells, temporarily allowing her body to function as it normally would. Her muscles grew, assuming the size and strength of an athletic young woman, and her shrunken body regained vigour. Her sunken cheeks became whole, and her hollowed out eyes smoothed over. Even her hair regained colour.

She took a few more breaths, stabilizing her hold over the power. This transformation took conscious effort. She had to hold her Aura in a flared state to maintain it. It was like flexing: it strained her. Most trained warriors could only Aura-boost their bodies for brief periods. But Lily Arc was not like any other.

A rare disease vastly weakened her heart, most of her vital organs, her bones and her muscles. She was unable to eat or drink normally, and was held together by a combination of Atlesian medical science… and sheer willpower.

Even in her condition, however, the might of her Aura was not to be underestimated. It allowed her to function physically on a level equal (and higher) than most Hunters. Her brain and nervous system were undiminished, and with her body under their control, she was an unparalleled warrior.

She showered and went through her morning routine quickly, and examined her appearance in the mirror. Satisfied, she stepped into the open Berserker Armour.

This ancient armour, said to be forged by the dwarves, was a powerful arcane item from an older age. The technology and magic used to create it were now lost, but Atlas scientists had been able to understand it enough to modify its function, and add new ones.

It reinforced Lily, protecting her and increasing her force output, while also steadily feeding her energy and even nutrients when necessary to help maintain her crumbling body.

She looked at it. Front and back halves separated, its inside was laid bare, as it waited for her.

_Well, old friend. It's time to go again._

She stepped into place, backing up into its hollow. It sensed her presence, and immediately snapped shut, its many plates automatically adjusting as needed to fit her smoothly. It connected to her via a system of sensors that allowed her to control it directly through signals from her brain and nervous system. As it synced up with her, Lily felt it respond to her commands, and she stepped forward, flexing her fingers experimentally and kicking at the air to make sure everything was working fine. She did some stretches, and once she was satisfied with the functioning, walked over to her weapons rack.

From it, she picked up a mechanical repeating crossbow and a cannon, both of which she mounted into the panels on her left gauntlet. Finally, she reached out and grabbed her trademark, massive blade.

The Dragonslayer.

_My other old friend. Time to go to work._

She strapped it to her back, and made her towards the door. Right before stepping out, she took a deep breath, and shifted into the attitude and mannerisms of the cocky Specialist she was known to be. Finally, she left the room, and walked out to face the day.

****_**Light, warmth, life. Wearing this armour comes at a price. You will lose many things before you die.**_****

  
Funnily enough, she received a message on her gauntlet comm system as soon as she was out.

"Ozpin wants to see me, huh? This early in the morning? Must be important…"

She set off towards his tower. As she walked, she recalled the previous night.

The devil's luck, they called it. At games of chance, Lily would never lose. Sometimes, she thought it must be the universe' way of making up for the illness she was cursed with.

At the festival ball, she had won Beacon no fewer than ten million lien in a single night. Seeing the frustrated and incredulous faces of the rich, many of whom were professional gamblers, and familiar with quite a few ways of cheating, had been entertaining, to say the least.

She didn't enjoy gambling hugely, though it served as a fair enough way to pass the time. It was not the most interesting thing that had happened last night. There had been quite a few highlights.

Where to even begin?

The famous Pyrrha Nikos had turned up with that monstrously strong boy who was a friend of Jaune's: Jotaro. She had seemed to enjoy herself greatly. They hadn't danced, but this hadn't seemed to bother her. She had laughed, smiled, and generally looked far more alive than she did in any of her commercials and interview appearances.

Speaking of unlikely couples, Jaune had _finally_ made it official with that snow-haired princess.

_Brother's growing up. Wonder if he got laid last night. Wouldn't be surprised. That chick had a waterfall going for him from the start. _

Truthfully, Lily was overjoyed for Jaune.

It was immensely satisfying to see the one who had always been looked upon as the weak one in the family come into his own in such rare style. He had become strong, made friends, and even found love.

Lily's own relationship with Jaune had never been what one might call ideal. She had teased him constantly, and the two had competed and fought over everything.

Surprisingly, their record in those competitions was close to even.

While in their childhood, Lily was leaps and bounds ahead of him as a fighter, there were plenty of other areas where they were equals, and even a few where Jaune was ahead.

Video games, arm wrestling, trying out new food and new music, collecting and making art: they had competed at everything.

The result was strange: she was the family member he was the closest to, though they were at each other's throats all the time.

And now, Jaune had managed to get a girlfriend.

She was happy for him. But at the same time, she was reminded this was one thing she could never beat him at.

The entire ball had been a reminder.

She had watched wistfully the many couples that had come, and the many more being formed. Young people, finding others they wanted to know, others they wanted to grow closer to. Holding hands, dancing, kissing, and maybe more.

These were things she couldn't do.

While her Aura infused body could handle it, it would have been incredibly unfair to anyone for her to enter a relationship with them, knowing she could die at any moment, and would definitely die soon.

_Heh. Can't have everything, I guess._

Pushing the thoughts out of her head, she proceeded onwards.

**Elsewhere:**

Weiss Schnee awoke, feeling, for the first time in a long time, feeling truly, completely happy. She felt warm, in a manner that didn't simply have to do with the temperature. It was a feeling of joy, and security. It emanated from right next to her, and she snuggled closer to its source.

Jaune was lying on his back, next to her. She lay with her head nestled in the crook of his arm against his chest.

"Good morning," said a voice. From right against him, she could feel the rumble of his tone as she lay with him.

He was already awake, and looking at her. His blue eyes were incredibly gentle, and for the first time, she was seeing them completely open to her, without any of his walls up. Those eyes gazed on her warmly, and she found herself smiling too, even as she blushed.

"Good morning," she replied. "You've been up for a while, it seems."

"About twenty minutes ago," he admitted.

"You could have woken me up."

"I could have. But you looked so peaceful."

Weiss did not reply verbally. Instead, she ran her fingers along his arm, marvelling at how dense and solid it was, like marble, yet smooth to the touch. She allowed herself to feel the definition of the individual muscles, and the veins on his forearm. There were several small ridges and bumps all along the arm, from various small scars.

In a way, it was comforting.

Comforting to know that for all his power, he was still mortal, and could be wounded. It wasn't that she wished harm on him. Only, she felt closer knowing that he had real flaws too. Somehow, they only endeared him to her.

In turn, Jaune pulled her closer, revelling in the feel of her soft yet firm body against his own. Despite being slender, Weiss had plenty of lean muscle, resembling, in a way, a dancer, with her graceful frame. Her breasts, while not large, were shapely, and currently pressed against him because of how close they were. One smooth, toned thigh was wrapped over his own legs, and as it rose higher, it encountered a certain stiff part of Jaune.

Both of them grew slightly red, but neither backed away from the touch.

Despite having spent the night together, they were both clothed, to an extent.

Weiss had her night clothes on, shorts and a loose vest, and Jaune had his boxers.

While there had been plenty of… physical contact, by mutual agreement, they had decided to not fully consummate, yet.

Their relationship had only just started, after all, and there was no need to rush things.

Yet, they had craved each other's company, and being able to sleep in each other's embrace gave them a feeling of comfort and safety neither of them had experienced in a long time.

Weiss pressed her thigh a little more against that organ, enjoying how stiff it was, and noting, with satisfaction, that Jaune's large stature applied here as well.

"Oi, oi. That's a little too much teasing, don't ya think?" the boy joked, though he was almost groaning in pleasure.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Souther. I merely encountered some high quality wood, and decided to examine it."

Jaune stared at her in shock for a moment, surprised at her sultry smirk, before he casually reached over and cupped her butt in one hand, enjoying how incredibly round it was, and immediately causing Weiss to squeal.

"Hey!"

"Fair is fair, princess."

Weiss frowned, and moved quickly, with all the agility of a serpent, sliding her leg all the way around his hips and mounting him, while pressing her breasts against his face.

"I'll make you submit, Souther!"

"A little early in the morning for Jiu Jitsu, don't you think?"

In reply, she dove in and pressed her lips against his, causing him to fight back. For a moment, they wrestled thus, until finally they separated for lack of air. Weiss' face hovered inches above his own, and both pairs of blue eyes looked at each other, until the two broke into laughter at the same time.

Weiss lay down again, on top of him, and he hugged her, wrapping his arms all the way around her.

"As amazing as this is, we do have classes to attend, you know?" she said.

"Yeah. That we do."

He unclasped his arms, and she got off him. Before she could get off the bed, however, Jaune reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Hey. Did I mention how glad I am to have you in my life?"

Weiss' eyes widened momentarily.

Jaune was staring at her intensely, almost desperately, and the show of vulnerability made her heart go out to him. She squeezed his hand tightly, reassuringly.

"I'm glad to be in it. And I'm not going anywhere."

Her words put him at ease, and he smiled, gently releasing her hand. The two of them got out of bed.

On another bed next to theirs, Nora was yawning and just waking up, while Ren was already up and getting ready to shower.

"You guys are totally together, aren't you?" Jaune asked him.

Ren froze up momentarily, looking at him, before ultimately sighing in resignation.

"You don't get to say a word after you brought your girlfriend over," he replied.

To that, Jaune had no comeback. As he was quickly discovering, Ren was not silent out of necessity, but choice. To those who knew him a little better, he had a surprisingly sharp tongue. The banter was rather fun.

Since Nora and Ren had used his bed, her own was empty, which left, finally, Pyrrha's, where an arm extended from a tangled heap of sheets, along with a voice.

"Yare yare daze. Loosen your grip, woman."

Reluctantly, the redheaded Spartan did as he asked, and Jotaro sat up in bed.

His gaze travelled around the room till it landed on Jaune, leading to one of the most awkward moments of both their lives.

Jotaro reached for his hat on instinct, only to realize he was not wearing it at the moment.

"Well, I had no idea this was your dorm as well," he said.

"Well, you know now," said Jaune drily.

Pyrrha had finally woken up enough to emerge from the sheets.

Jaune noticed that both of them had bare upper bodies.

_Well, fantastic. I suppose everyone got lucky last night. _

In the light of day, all six teens were now feeling remarkably awkward. The aftermath of the ball had them elated and excited, and spending the night with a special person had seemed the _only_ choice to make. That, of course, meant dealing with the inevitable morning meetings.

Pyrrha's face was as red as her hair, and she was actively trying to hide behind Jotaro's shoulder.

Feeling sorry for her, Jaune tried to break the tension with some humour.

"Hey, good work, Pyrrha. You took my advice about facing challenges and taking on strong people. May you two have many more happy duels in the future!"

Weiss facepalmed.  
Ren shook his head.  
Nora rolled around laughing.  
Pyrrha looked like she wanted to disappear.  
Jotaro contented himself with a comeback.

"Stick to fighting. Jokes are not your strong point."

"Ouch."

Still, at the very least, the tension was gone, and they started to go about the process of getting ready for the day.

Jotaro collected his clothes and headed back to his dorm.

"I'll see you at the Festival, Souther," he said on the way out.

"Likewise."

Weiss' dorm was right across the hall, so she quickly dashed out of the JNPR dorm and into her own.

Which left JNPR themselves, who decided on an order for bathing, and proceeded to get on with it.

Currently, Ren was in there, which left the other three together outside.

"So…" said Pyrrha, breaking the silence. "You and Weiss are a thing now?"

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah."

"About time," said Nora. "You saved me a lot of money."

"Money?"

"Yeah. There was a lot of betting on whether or not you two would get together by the end of the year."

Jaune groaned.

"I'm guessing everyone apart from the two of us were in on it?"

"Of course. The weird guy in the red coat… Alucard, I think? He put ten thousand lien on you two ending up together by the end of the month. Better let him know. He's going to want to collect on his winnings.

Jaune groaned again. The vampire would never let him hear the end of this.

He decided to check his Scroll just to have something to distract himself, and noticed he had a text.

"Ozpin again? Wonder what he wants…"

An hour later, he was in the headmaster's office.

He wondered if he or his friends were in trouble for the whole dorm sleepover thing, but dismissed the thought. It was extremely unlikely, since everyone involved was mature and doing so of their own free will. None of the six had drunk any alcohol either, so there was no chance of getting in trouble for that either.

Which meant… this had to do with the council, and the war.

"Ah, Mr Souther. Glad you could join us. We are a little short on time, so I'll get right to the point."

Jaune nodded.

"Have you gotten around to reading the book I lent you?"

"I was familiar with some of the myths previously, like the tale of the Two Brothers, though the version in this book is incomplete, and makes no mention of the God of War, Asura. However, I did find the myth of the Maidens and those pertaining to the Relics interesting."

Ozpin seemed satisfied by the answer.

"Good. That will speed things up considerably. A Relic long thought to be lost has been located, Mr Souther. We will need you to go and retrieve it, posthaste. Ms Arc will also be going on this mission, and the two of you are to work together."

Jaune's expression darkened, and he frowned.

"This was not in the agreement, Ozpin. I never said I'd work with others."

Ozpin conceded the point.

"That is true, Mr Souther, but we must retrieve the Relic before the enemy. It is extremely important, to the point where we are willing to send two of our best warriors to obtain it. Please. For the sake of what must be done. You have to go."

Jaune grunted.

"Fine! Just this once. Don't make it a habit. Also, once I'm back, I'll be asking you the questions you know you're trying to avoid. This time, you will answer."

Ozpin nodded once, slowly.

"Very well."

Jaune turned to glare at Lily, who smiled at him with unconcealed glee.

**Elsewhere:**

Cinder Fall was in the dorm she had been assigned along with Emerald and Mercury.

A holographic projection stood in front of them. One depicting a woman who, to them, was the epitome of fear.

"The Relic's location has been discovered. It is close to where the three of you are. I want it brought to me, and you three will be the ones to do it."

Cinder knew better than to argue with her, but even so, things needed to be clarified.

"About the mission, then-"

"I will be sending someone to Vale to collect the Relic from you. Hand it over to him, and proceed as planned. Make sure to obtain the Maiden's power… and then initiate the next step."

Cinder bowed, and her two proteges did likewise, and Salem's projection disappeared.

True to her words, a location had been sent to her Scroll.

_A Relic… a gift from one of the Two Brothers… what power does it hold, I wonder._

"Well, we have our orders. We leave to retrieve the Relic", she said.

"But what about classes-"

"We'll have to skip them for today. Keep the dorm locked up, and send them a text telling them we're recovering from a hangover."

"Oh yeah, half the school got drunk last night."

Cinder shook her head in disbelief. It eluded her how someone as careless as Ozpin had been Salem's great enemy for so long.

"In any case, we leave immediately. Emerald, use your Semblance to keep us hidden till we're outside the school."

The girl nodded. They quickly packed their equipment, preparing to set out.

**Meanwhile:**

"So. First mission together, huh, brother?"

"Unhh. Why does it have to be you of all people?"

"That's rude. I didn't ask to get saddled with you either. Gonna be a drag going slow so that you can keep up."

"Say that when you're eating my dust."

The siblings traded barbs back and forth in this manner as they walked. Both of them were already ready to go. Lily was in full armour and had her weapons, and Jaune had his travelling clothes on.

Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew his Scroll and dialled a number.

"Ooh! Calling the wife to let her know you'll be late?" Lily said, far too excitedly.

"Shut up," said Jaune, trying to tune her out.

Weiss picked up.

"_Jaune?"_

"Something came up, and I'll have to skip classes today. Let me know what I missed."

"_Of course, but where are you going?"_

Jaune wondered how much he should say. He had no issue telling her whatever he knew, but doing so in front of Lily might lead to problems later down the line.

"Something urgent," he replied, hoping Weiss would get the hint and not pursue it right now.

She did.

"_I see. Stay safe and come back quickly, all right?"_

"Yeah. I will."

As he disconnected the call, he could feel Lily's ear-to-ear grin without even looking at her.

"Sigh. I sense you're holding something back. Might as well say it. You've never been in the habit of having a filter between your brain and your mouth."

Lily laughed.

"I was only going to say, it's rather touching how concerned she is for you. It's a good thing, I think. People die in this line of work. Having someone to come home to might just give you a little boost when you need it the most."

Jaune couldn't really argue with that. Wanting to stop her from prying any further into him, he decided to take the lead in the conversation.

"I thought you'd be hungover right now. You seem the sort to get hammered drunk."

"Not really. I don't drink at all."

Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"That I find hard to believe."

"There's lots of things about me you don't know."

"Yeah, I would have tried to find out, if you hadn't been, I don't know, a pain in the ass all the time."

"Oh come on. Teasing boys is the way girls show affection. You know at least that much, right?"

"Not every girl is as twisted as you."

"And not every guy is as twisted as you."

Continuing to bicker, they made their way onto the small transport craft that was waiting for them on the Beacon grounds themselves.

The compact aircraft was much faster than a regular passenger Bullhead, and it took only fifteen minutes to transport them to the site where the Relic had been found.

Jaune and Lily stood at the open hatch of the craft, and looked down at the mission site.

"Ruins of an ancient structure…", said Lily.

"That architecture… long lost, but I recognize it from the few books of that era that have any kind of drawings in them", said Jaune.

"It's a temple dedicated to one of the Twins, isn't it?"

Jaune nodded. "But which one?"

"Only one way to find out."

Without waiting for an answer, Lily dived off the plane, and Jaune followed. The two swiftly plummeted towards the ground, both of them angling downwards as they did so, to reduce drag. Like twin arrows, they cut through the air, flipping over at the last moment to land on their feet in crouching positions.

A tremendous boom echoed, throwing up a cloud of dust.

"When entering an old temple, enter from the front, with your intentions proclaimed," the siblings said at the same time.

They looked at each other, and in a rare moment of understanding, grinned.

"Time to retrieve a relic."

They walked in through the entrance, ascending the stairs that lay past them.

The walls were carved with intricate symbols and depictions of figures and scenes that seamlessly flowed into each other. Though neither of the siblings knew the script of the language, they could understand the story the carvings told.

Two siblings who came to this world, and fell in love with its people.

Thus, they watched over them, and each in their own way, helped them, nurtured them.

One, of light.

The other, of darkness.

However, the version of the tale told by the temple walls differed from that Jaune had heard.

In that, the twins were not two brothers.

_They were brother and sister._

There was no god of darkness.

Only a goddess.

Eventually, despite all she had done for human beings, they turned their back on her, and thus, incurred her wrath.

What followed was the battle between the two siblings, that nearly destroyed the world. In fact, it was the reason this world was called Remnant. Literally because it was the remnant of what it once was before that war.

And finally, there came the depiction of a figure that towered above both siblings.

Massive, with limbs thick as tree trunks, this figure stood tall with six arms instead of two, and a halo of fire surrounding him, even as his own eyes were depicted as flames.

"Asura, God of War," said Jaune. "The originator of Hokuto Shin Ken. Foremost warrior of the Heavens, and Destroyer of Evil."

He bowed reverently in front of the carving.

Lily said nothing.

She was not a big believer in higher powers. Yet, as she beheld this one being's depiction, she somehow felt a sense of respect for him.

_The God of all Martial Arts… certainly, he is powerful._

The tale showed him soundly defeating both siblings.

Following which, he left for the Heavens again, but not before giving Remnant a gift of his own, represented by a carving of the seven stars in the shape of the Big Dipper.

"Hokuto Shin Ken…" whispered Lily.

"Indeed," said Jaune, as he bowed once more in front of the constellation.  
"You've inherited a powerful legacy, brother."

"Yes, I have. And as such, in time, I will bring an end to the suffering that plagues this world."

Interestingly, following the departure of Asura, only the goddess of darkness remained on Remnant. The god of light did not reappear.

The goddess was depicted with flowing hair, and a diamond shaped mark on her forehead. She was surrounded by creatures with claws and fangs, clearly recognizable as the Grimm.

Curiously, she was also surrounded by humans.

As these humans approached her, they were shown becoming more and more monstrous, until only Grimm remained in the ring closest to her.

"This is a major find," said Jaune. "So much can be learnt of this world's history. But… how much of it is the world ready for?"

He shook his head.

"We move on and obtain the relic."

"There's a curious thing about this temple," said Lily.

"It masks the presence of living Auras, doesn't it?" said Jaune.

Lily nodded.

While she was not capable of sensing Auras unless their possessor showed hostile intent, the air was stifling, and her instincts warned her that something was off.

Jaune, on the other hand, had been unable to sense Lily's Aura the moment he stepped into the temple, and immediately realized what must be happening.

The corridors were all shrouded in darkness, since there were no lights inside.

Jaune, whose eyes were sharp enough to see in pitch darkness, had no difficulty.

Lily's helm gave her night vision, and she too had no problem.

They came to a point where the path forked, going in two different directions.

"This is where we split up, I suppose," said Jaune.

Lily nodded.  
"Whoever finds the relic informs the other, and we both proceed to exit the temple."

"Agreed."

Before proceeding, Lily turned back to face Jaune.

"Be careful, brother."

"You too."

It was some solace to Lily that at the very least, everything that had happened had not completely destroyed the bond between them.

She walked down the left hand path, going deeper into the temple.

Unbeknownst to her, at that very moment, three other people were also in that very temple, attempting to find the very same Relic she had come for.

Cinder, Emerald and Mercury had entered through a different doorway, and had not come across any forks, thus, the three of them were still together.

"Place gives me the creeps," said Mercury.

Emerald, not one to agree with him generally, nodded. Something was definitely off about this place.

"Stay focused. The sooner we find it, the sooner we can get out of here," said Cinder.

She was using her fire to light the way.

Ultimately, after what felt like hours, they emerged into a vast circular chamber. They had had to ascend several flights of stairs to get here.

In the very centre of the chamber, there was a raised structure protruding from the floor. Embedded in it was a single sphere composed of an unknown material. Jet black, it was shiny, and reflected the light of Cinder's flames.

It radiated an unmistakable power, and she immediately knew.

This was the Relic.

"Well, well. Found what I came for, and a bonus as well."

A voice that belonged to none of the three spoke, and Cinder's eyes widened in alarm as a figure stepped forth from the darkness, entering the chamber through an opening opposite the one they had come in from.

In full body armour, the imposing figure stepped forth. The shape of the silhouette was female, and followed the natural contours of a predator. Thick legs, narrow waist and wide shoulders. The helm covered her face entirely, only having two slits for the wearer to look through.

Cinder could not see the eyes of the knight.

But she could _feel_ her gaze upon her, the enormous killing intent focused through it paralysing her with fear.

It was like being in the sights of an uncaged tigress.

The two entrances rumbled, and doors of rock slammed down, sealing all four of them shut in the chamber.

"Shit! We're trapped!" said Mercury.

Cinder clenched her teeth. The situation was bad.

Lily laughed.

"You understand, don't you? The gods want this fight to happen. Our duty then… is to give them a good show."

The slits of the armoured helm glowed red, and the knight walked straight forwards toward them. She didn't bother taking trying to confuse them with her path of approach, or try to create any openings.

She simply walked them down, and all three of Salem's minions took an involuntary step back.

Cinder felt the sweat roll down her face.

_What the hell is this Aura? It's like I'm facing some kind of monster!_

"Tch! There's no choice! Take her out!", said Mercury, recovering first.

His words brought Emerald to her senses as well, and the two of them charged towards the knight.

Mercury dashed forward, using his cybernetic legs to close the distance quickly. When he saw the knight make no move to maintain spacing, or even get her guard up, he tried to capitalize with a quick roundhouse kick to the head.

However, his foot met only air, and he completed the move, spinning 360 degrees on his pivot foot to face the knight, who still hadn't moved.

She had dodged by moving her head back by a little.

Frowning, he tried a forward thrust kick, but she met it with a forward kick of her own, before following up immediately with another thrust kick that connected with his gut, pushing him back.

Lily raised a hand and taunted him in a "come here" gesture.

Growling, Mercury charged in, holding nothing back.

Knowing his opponent was not to be underestimated, he dashed left and right to confuse her even a little, and throw off her reaction time if possible. Finally, he came in, and attempted a low sweep, which she avoided by raising her leg. He followed up from his sideways position with an elbow strike, which she pushed aside with her palm, and countered with a hook aiming for his body. With his back now turned to her, only his instincts and experience saved him as moved away, expecting a blow.

_Tch. This woman…_

An experienced fighter can tell when a skilled opponent is baiting them. They remain cautious, even on the attack.

But the effect of an opponent who stays only on the defensive is hard to prevent. The tendency is to expand when an opponent contracts. Doubly so when the stakes were as high as they were at the moment.

Thus, Mercury resolved to attack cautiously, and bait out an opening from the knight.

He did not know that the trap had already been set… and he had fallen into it.

As he attacked with another high roundhouse kick, expecting her to dodge by leaning back, which would give him the chance to catch her with a quick follow-up, something else happened.

An iron fist caught his ankle.

And an iron elbow descended on the side of his knee, where the cybernetic part met his organic thigh.

The blow tore through the attachment, separating the limb from his body.

Mercury grunted in pain as he toppled to the ground, clutching his leg.

Lily tossed away the half of the leg that had come off, and looked down at Mercury. The entire sequence had taken less than five seconds.

"DAMN YOU!"

Several shots whistled through the air.

Emerald had fired her twin revolvers.

The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the Berserker Armour.

"I'll make you pay for that!" shouted Emerald.

She activated her Semblance, trapping the knight's senses in an illusion of her design.

As Lily froze up, ensnared, Emerald ran towards Mercury and began dragging him back, away from her.

"Saved my ass there," he grunted. "She's strong…"

"You should have waited for me," she replied. "Well, never mind. She's already stuck in my Semblance. From here, Cinder can cook her alive in that armo-"

The words died her throat as she glanced at Lily.

Eerily, one slit in the helm had closed, leaving only one glowing, red eye open.

It burned like a furnace… tracking Emerald's every movement.

"She can see…" muttered the girl.

"What?" exclaimed Mercury.

The knight began to walk… right towards them.

Emerald's Semblance had sealed off five of her senses. And the temple's power had sealed off her Semblance's ability to detect malicious Auras.

But even so. Even in the silent darkness… the peerless battle instincts forged on the battlefield could not be deceived.

"It's funny," she said, as she closed in. "No matter when or where, the bitch instinct is to run from a fight. It makes all you cowards predictable as all hell."

Emerald felt herself start to freeze up, when Mercury clutched her knee, tightly.

"Don't let her words get to you! She can't sense us! She's tracking us on instinct. Circle around, stay out of range, and take her out!"

Emerald felt some measure of strength return at those words, and began to do as he said.

Sprinting to the side to draw her away from the injured Mercury in case she was tracking her and not him, she fired several shots, taking the time to aim where the armour should be weak, at the joints. Neck, back of knees, armpits.

Unfortunately, not a single bullet did any damage.

As if expecting the move, the knight had gone into a traditional guarding stance, legs closed at the thigh and arms held high, tight to the sides, with head tucked in low behind them.

Shots to the neck and armpits hit shoulders and arms instead, bouncing off, and even the ones that landed on the sides of the knees hit only plates.

Under normal conditions, Emerald's tactics could not be faulted. She had done as well as could be expected from a formidable warrior.

But against the greatest prodigy in the history of the Arc bloodline, a tactic that should have been effective… only sealed her fate.

With her failed assault, her confidence shook, and with it, her control over her Semblance. Just a little. But it was enough. From the sensations of the impacts, Lily knew the direction the shots came from.

At that point, it was already over.

With frightening speed, the Berserker lunged into offence, her powerful legs launching her towards Emerald, even as she finally drew the blade feared by demons and humans alike.

Twice, the Dragonslayer was swung.

The first, a horizontal low sweep as Lily dashed past Emerald.

The blade went through both knees.

Before she even got the chance to feel the pain, Lily twisted the massive sword into a one handed grip, and swung it into a backhanded slash that removed head from body.

As the wielder died, the Semblance' spell was broken, revealing the real world to Lily's senses once more.

She turned to see Mercury's expression of shock… and Cinder's face… filled with fear.

She began to walk towards them, blade held ready in one hand.

"You're… not human…" said the boy.

"I'm a hound of war," replied the knight.

"Run," Mercury said simply. Speaking to Cinder.

The mission had failed.

Half the powers of a Maiden would not be enough to take on this Berserker.

Perhaps even full might not be enough.

Cinder was still frozen, unable to move.

"RUN!" shouted Mercury. He had no idea why he was trying to save her.

What was loyalty anyway, when it only got you killed?

Yet, he did it, without thinking about it.

As if brought to life by his shout, Cinder sprinted away. If this failed, she was trapped. She prepared to hurl her fire at the slab of rock behind her. To her surprise, the slab responded to her fire, and slid open, allowing her to leave the chamber.

No sooner had she done so than it slammed down again, shut.

Mercury sighed in relief. At the very least, she had survived.

With no choice left, he decided to face his death with pride.

Lily's helm slid back, revealing her face.

Blue eyes met gray.  
"Guts and honour," said Lily. "I admire that, even in one like you, who serves scum. Your partner had it too. That's why I'll give you what I gave her. A painless death."

Mercury laughed.

"So this is a Hunter's mercy, huh? Guess _she_ was right. Humans are the real monsters."

"I'm not a Hunter," said Lily simply. "Just a mad dog."

Once more, the Dragonslayer swung. One more life ended.

With enemies in the vicinity defeated, Lily approached the Relic.

_So this is it…_

She reached out a hand cautiously, intending to pick it up so she could carry it out of the chamber.

However, her touch triggered it.

The Sphere of Knowledge activated, and the power of the god of light flooded Lily's mind.

This Relic was capable of answering any question as long as the god of light himself was aware of the answer.

But no one could choose what question it answered.

The Relic itself chose, based on the one who touched it.

The truth is power… but to those who cannot handle it… it can drive one insane.

As the power entered her, her mind saw two visions.

Visions of the future.

However, neither could come to pass if the other did as well.

Only one path could be travelled.

In the first vision, she saw herself.

Healthy again, free of disease, free of the Berserker's armour. Strong, and able to use her power to its fullest. Happy, smiling, surrounded by people who cared for her. Jaune was there too. Finally, they had accepted each other.

In the second, she saw Jaune.

An older, more mature Jaune, with sorrowful eyes, but possessing untold power. Power that could save the world.

The spell ended, and Lily returned to the world around her.

She stared at the Relic, which was inert again.

_I see. Only one of these things can happen. _


	20. The Origins of the Darkness

**Author's note: If you missed the previous chapter, which was uploaded very recently, please check it out.**

**Story's gonna heat up now. This chapter is short, but it features major lore for the canon divergence in this fic.**

**Little trivia: Jaune's theme is The Road of Lords. If you haven't heard it, check it out on YouTube. I highly suggest putting it on whenever he gets serious in a fight.**

**Lily's theme is Lily from the Guilty Gear soundtrack, and her battle theme is My Brother, from the Berserk soundtrack.**

**Season 2 Chapter 6: The Origins of the Darkness**

Cinder slid down against the rock wall behind her, until she was sitting on the ground. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she huddled against them, desperate for some sense of warmth. It was cold and dark outside. She had managed to find shelter in a cave for the night. Returning to Beacon was out of the question: her face had been seen. Returning to Salem was out of the question too. The witch had no patience for failure.

She would either have to complete the mission, one way or another, or die in the effort. If she returned not having done that, her life would be forfeit anyway.

Yet, she dared not approach the school, even hidden.

_She _resided there.

That dreaded knight.

The glowing red eyes haunted her even now. The shiny armour: cold, seemingly invincible. Bullets bounced off, not even causing her to flinch.

A ferocious strength that allowed her to tear through metal like it was cardboard. Made even more frightening by the fact that she had real skill to it with. A speed that rendered her nearly invisible.

And a tenacious, otherworldly ability to see through deception.

Cinder could see the eyes watching her, all the time. She wouldn't be surprised if the knight was standing in the dark, watching her, right now.

The thought terrified her.

At any moment, she could come.

Wielding that sword.

That sword.

_What on earth was that thing? It's no ordinary weapon. It felt like that thing could kill anything. Anything at all._

While that monster existed, wielding a sword like that, she dared not even approach the school.

Lily's words echoed in her head.

"_I'm not a hunter. Just a mad dog."_

It was an apt self-description. In Cinder's mind, she was as a ravenous hound of war, blood dripping from her fangs as she waited, having smelled her fear.

_Impossible. There's no way I can go back there. I- I'll die!_

  
Even if, by some kind of miracle, she survived that rabid dog… she'd come face to face with an even worse foe.

_The Godfist._

If Lily represented a gruesome death via bifurcation, then Jaune brought swift and absolute demise.

With the two of them both present, that school was nigh impregnable.

An entire legion of Grimm could attack, and that entire legion would be wiped out, without a single casualty on Beacon's side.

Cinder laid her head on her arms, wishing desperately things were better.

That wish was answered by a voice.

"Still immature, I see."

She looked up at the sound of that voice.

In front of her stood a projection of Salem herself.

Cinder's face paled, and she scrambled to kneel in front of it.

"Mistress, I didn't know-"

"That I could see you here? Really? Did you really think your failure would go unseen? That I could not see everything that transpired? That I don't know every thought that goes through your head?"

Cinder's voice stuck in her throat. She couldn't bring out the words to reply, simply kneeling in terrified silence.

"Well, you can rejoice. Let it never be said that I do not aid my allies in achieving their goals."

The would-be Maiden once more looked up, a faint hope growing in her.

"Look at the situation you are in," Salem said. "You have two powerful foes. Is it not obvious what you should do?"

Cinder's eyes widened as she realized what the witch was saying.

"Turn them against each other," she whispered.

Of course. That was the ideal outcome. The only solution. She herself could defeat neither of them. And with them both present, the success of the mission was impossible. Unless, they were made the very tools that would ensure its success.

Two powerful warriors, turned against each other.

If all went right, both would die in the fight. If one survived, they would be severely weakened, to the point where even she could finish them off.

And if the fight were to happen on the right stage, the entire world would see it.

Two of the brightest aspiring Hunters in the world, engaged in a bloody duel to the death in what should be a Festival promoting unity.

The amount of negativity that would spread would be enough to summon forth any number of Grimm, and without any assistance needed from the White Fang.

Yes, this was the solution. It was the only solution.

Salem continued.

"One, a merciless slayer of darkness, who puts to death all who threaten the peace. The other, a seeker of understanding, willing to allow others the chance to change. When their ideals collide, conflict is inevitable."

Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

What better candidate to put down a rabid Berserker than the Godfist?

"Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan were killed in Vale," said Salem, who, of course, had been monitoring both of them, and knew exactly how they had died.

"I am to look into their deaths, then," said Cinder.

She understood. The key to the success of the plan was discovering _how_ the two met their demise.

"Do it quick. The stage for the encounter of the two is set at the tournament. Before then, you must turn the rivals into hated enemies."

With that, Salem's projection faded, leaving Cinder by herself again.

**Meanwhile: **

Jaune and Lily stood in Ozpin's office, having handed over the Relic to Ozpin.

"I hope there was no great difficulty in obtaining this?"

"There were two minor obstacles, but they were both removed," said Lily. "On a related note, Cinder Fall won't be returning here. Not as a student anyway. And you should probably have security start keeping a lookout for her."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"Explain."

"Turns out her group were the infiltrators. Now that she's been found out, she'll be careful. She turned tail and ran, but I have a feeling she'll be back."

The wizard frowned.

"And what of the other two?"

"Dealt with according to Atlas policy for hostiles."

Jaune stared at her.

"You killed them," he said.

She nodded.

"Why?" asked Jaune.

"Because they were a threat to the lives and security of the people of Vale and Atlas. You would have done the same, brother, would you not? I've been reading up on Hokuto Shin Ken. The records say past Successors have had no qualms putting such threats to death."

This was indeed true.

Kenshiro had killed hundreds of bloodthirsty murderers and goons with no respect for the rights of others.

Jaune himself had killed plenty of the same.

But now…

"It is not the only way," he said, shaking his head.

Things had changed since he had come to Beacon.

The people here were emotional. Impractical even. They could not always look deep enough to understand what they were looking at. Yet, in many ways, they looked deeper than Jaune. And coming here had taught him that those emotions were not weaknesses. They made Beacon's Hunters kinder people. People who tried to change others first, offer them a chance at turning their lives around, instead of killing them.

In an age of violence and mistrust, Jaune could see that more violence was not necessarily the answer.

The wars of the older age were at an end.

This was a time when Remnant stood at the precipice.

It was a time when, if people chose well, things could change for the better.

"It isn't the only way," he repeated. "A true warrior offers a fallen enemy a chance at redemption."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Redemption… hah! There's no such thing, brother. I didn't think the new, improved you would believe in that bullshit. But I suppose somewhere under all the muscle… you're still the same naive kid from back then, huh?"

"And you're still the same selfish, arrogant one. You believe your power gives you the right to judge people… it does not."

"Then what would you suggest I did, brother? Letting them escape was not an option. Not when they could take action that would put many lives at risk."

"You could have captured them."

"And hand them over to this kingdom's weak system? Out of the question."

The situation threatened to devolve further, causing Ozpin to intervene.

"Enough. It is too late to think about what might have been done. They are both dead, and we need to be on guard for Cinder. Let us leave it at that. However, I cannot have you act with impunity in Vale, Ms Arc. You are in _our_ kingdom. And you must abide by our rules. I will have words with James about this."

Lily grunted in annoyance.

"Do what you will. The mission is over, I'm out of here. Call me again when you have real work to be done."

She paused for a moment before leaving.

"You've become soft here. One day, you'll realize that there are those who will spit on your mercy, and come back to kill your loved ones. Learn to remove these diseases before they grow."

She left the office, but Jaune remained.

He looked at Ozpin.

"I won't be distracted any longer. Give me the answers you promised."

Ozpin lowered his head. He no longer had any means to delay the inevitable.

"Fine. What is it you wish to know?"

"Tell me… who our enemy is."

Ozpin reached out to touch the Relic, which had been covered by cloth to prevent it from being accidentally activated.

"You already know, don't you?" he said. "You went to the Temple. You saw the carvings on the walls."

Jaune had figured as much. But this confirmation was still important.

"So it's true then. Hokuto lore says that Asura defeated the Twins and then left after imparting the Divine Fist of the North Star to humanity as a gift. But it makes no mention of the rest of the story. The fact that there is no god of darkness, but a goddess. And the fact that she remains still in this world."

Ozpin nodded.

"She is the one. Our enemy. The goddess of darkness, Salem. For thousands of years now, she has been in the shadows, keeping the world in chaos as she pulls strings, slowly bringing her plan together. Now, at long last, it seems success is within her grasp."

"How does she plan on doing this?"

"The first step is reincarnation. Gods are immortal… but they cannot enter this world in their true forms. The power is so great, it would rip apart our reality through its mere presence. All gods have needed a mortal vessel whenever they wished to visit this realm. The goddess of darkness is no exception. However, since she wished to remain here, and dedicate herself to humanity's downfall, possession of a vessel would not suffice. She opted for true reincarnation, being reborn here as a human. Salem's body is human… but she possesses all the powers of her godly self. It is why she is immortal. And also why she is too strong for anyone to face in direct combat. The one who came closest… was your Master, Kenshiro. And even he lost, though Salem was unable to kill him either."

Jaune's eyes widened.

Even _Kenshiro_ could not defeat her?

Ozpin continued. It seemed that now it had come to this, he would give Jaune all the answers he sought.

"The carvings would have depicted Salem surrounded by humans. As the goddess of darkness, she gifted humanity many things. Our instinct for battle, our ability to rely on imagination rather than existing knowledge… and our courage. That which allows us to move forward even in the absence of light. It would not be incorrect to say that the god of light gave us our technology and knowledge… but she was the one who gave us the strength to use it. In our newfound power, we became arrogant, and turned our backs on her. Thus, in revenge, she taught us that the instincts she had given us could be the undoing of our race, unless held in check.

As the battle instincts and bloodthirst in humans began to grow, those who fell prey to their own negativity began to transform. Their flesh changed, and they mutated. Claws, fangs, scales. These creatures became the terror in the dark.

_The Grimm came from us, Jaune. From humans."_


	21. Each One's Motivation

**Author's note: A lot of people weren't happy with the fact that Jaune seems averse to killing now. I have to point out again, Jaune is only 17 at the time of these events, and like his canon self, violence isn't actually his thing. He's already said it in this story a few times. The fact is, Jaune is **_**not**_ **being built to be a Kenshiro rip-off in this fic. He is his own person, and his very own kind of badass. Does that mean he's going to be incapable of doing what he has to? Absolutely not!**

**At the current point in the story, Jaune is still not a fully grown Successor. He has mastered the base techniques of Hokuto Shin Ken, and built up his physical strength, but he is not fully mature yet. He is currently going through the events that are going to serve as the tests he must overcome in order to become a full-fledged badass. He is still in the stage where he is stepping out of Kenshiro's shadow and learning to live life and do things his own way.**

**There is a reason Souther is Jaune's title in this fic, and not Kenshiro. There is also a reason why Jaune doesn't use too many of Kenshiro's signature techniques, instead using others, or even his own.**

**I won't make any promises I can't keep, but I have a vision of where this story is going, and I need to follow it. For all of you who've supported me, all I'll say is: be patient and give it a chance. Give it some time.**

**Season 2 Chapter 7: Each One's Motivation**

Both pairs of blue eyes looked into each other. One cool, like the frozen land of Atlas. The other calm, like clear skies. They searched, taking in the minutest of each other's movements, on the lookout for the ideal opportunity. Both of them were on guard; relaxed but ready. Neither was careless.

On one side was Weiss Schnee, younger of the two sisters of the current generation of her line. As ever, she held her trusty modified rapier, Myrtenaster. Her index finger and thumb were poised, ready to spin the chamber and fire up the Dust cartridges as soon as a chance came. Her blade bearing side was facing her opponent in a fencer's stance, the foundation of her armed combat.

In front of her stood Jaune Souther, Successor to Hokuto Shin Ken. His hands were open and at chest level, the lead one extended forward. His feet were spaced apart and his hips just slightly lowered. There was no unnecessary tension in his muscles, but he was ready to move forcefully. The stance was meant to keep opponents at one's preferred distance, using the hands and legs to parry attacks, while also moving around to maintain spacing, line of sight on the opponent, and balance. At the same time, it kept open a variety of options for offence.

The normally full arena was mostly empty today, but there were a few notable people around the platform, watching intently. Namely, the other members of RWBY and JNPR, along with Jotaro. Since they were using the Training Hall to practice in their own time, they were free to stand ringside instead of watching from the stands.

Yang, the member of RWBY who specialized in hand-to-hand combat, noticed the difference in Jaune's bearing. It wasn't as though the stance was new. Jaune had used this balanced stance many a time before. But the feeling he was exerting was completely different. He wasn't simply focused. He was motivated. This wasn't the state of a fighter who will calmly avoid danger and then counterattack to subdue an opponent. It was that of a fighter who seeks to give an opponent no chance to muster up an offence. One who seeks to attack, and convincingly defeat the one in front of him.

She leaned closer to Blake and whispered.

"Oi oi. Is this normal? He seems really serious. Like he's going to destroy her or something. He… does realize this is just a training sess, right? And that Weiss is… you know, his girlfriend?"

The cat faunus shook her head, frowning as she kept her eyes focused on the fighters.

"It's unlike him to get so serious during a training fight. Even more so against Weiss. But, if you think about it, it makes perfect sense."

Yang raised an eyebrow.

"How so?"

Blake took a deep breath and said what was on her mind regarding the situation.

"Well, maybe it's exactly because she's someone he cares about a lot. He respects her. And in a fight, the truest way to show respect…"

"... Is to not hold back," completed Yang, understanding at last. Her eyes widened as she realized what that meant.

"Wait. But that means-"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Jaune dashed forward.

The attack was so fast, none of them could see it, barring Jotaro, who was watching with Star Platinum's eyes.

Jaune was in front of Weiss, his extended fist inches from her face.

He had stopped right before the blow connected.

"This would have been the end in a real fight," said Jaune.

Weiss' eyes widened. Several emotions coursed through her. Surprise. Anger. A determination to fight on.

"That's- you simply caught me unaware!" she protested. "I can react if I see it coming! Again, Souther! We fight again."

Jaune lowered his arm and straightened.

"The result won't change. Not as you are right now."

"You don't know that!" snapped Weiss, with surprising volume and ferocity. The others flinched, slightly taken aback by how vociferously she was fighting back. "Come at me again, and I'll show you."

Jaune sighed, reverting from fighter to regular guy once more.

"Why are you so eager to fight me, Weiss? Why now? You've never said anything about training with me before."

In Weiss' mind, the advice given by Winter echoed.

_Defeat the Godfist, and win the Vytal Festival Tournament. _

That was what she needed to do to step out from the shadows she had lived in all her life. Those of her parents… and that of her sister. In order to obtain freedom, she had to fight, and win. In order to live the life she sought with Jaune… she had to first defeat him. Even if only once.

"Because-!" she stopped. There was no way she could reveal that to was no way they'd be able to have a fair fight if he was weighed down by a guilty conscience. For this to hold any meaning, she would have to fight him at his best, when he was giving it his all. In other words, as a competitor in the tournament, and not as her boyfriend.

Unable to reveal everything, and unwilling to lie, she decided to speak a part of the truth.

"I have to beat you. It's a goal I set for myself. I will fight you, and defeat you!"

Jaune blinked, looking momentarily surprised.

For an instant, Weiss rejoiced, thinking she had seized the psychological advantage.

Until Jaune's look of surprise turned to one of eager anticipation. He grinned fiercely. Fights to the death were gruesome, and never fun. But an honest, fair competition against someone he respected… was awesome. His own spirit had awakened in response to Weiss'.

He clenched his fist.

"In that case, bring it on! I'll hold nothing back, and crush you every time!"

Weiss comically sweat-dropped and nearly collapsed.

_Drat! I've only motivated him more! At this rate, I'll never beat him!_

She was about to descend into a spiral of dark thoughts when she felt Jaune's arm around her.

"Here's a hint: loosen up a little, and don't let fear control you. You want to fight me, right? Then don't half-ass it. Go all the way, and come at me, ready to get hurt, and ready to hurt me. That's the only way to fight."

_That… is actually really good advice_, Weiss conceded mentally. She smiled slightly, and nodded. This was just another great thing about the two of them. They could compete fiercely without any hard feelings. They could compete while helping each other learn and grow.

As the two of them made their way off the ring, the others discussed what had just taken place.

"Aww… they're so cute together!" said Yang. "I can just see them in my mind, going out. Having fun freezing people and beating them up together."

"That's… disturbing imagery," Blake pointed out.

Everyone laughed, with one exception.

Weiss noticed that Jaune wasn't listening.

He was preoccupied. He had been for a few days now, ever since he had come back from that mission. She still hadn't gotten around to asking him about it yet.

_Whatever happened… is weighing down on him. _

The already normally stoic Jaune looked even more serious, lost in thought. His eyes were seeing something far away. Something that worried him. He seemed… uncertain. It was hard to spot. But Weiss had learnt to see the subtle tells of Jaune's emotions.

It hurt her a little bit that he hadn't seen fit to share the source of his troubles with her. But then again, there were things she hadn't told him either. Not because she wanted to hide anything from him, but simply because the moment to reveal it all hadn't come yet.

She decided to be patient, and trust him.

Of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't offer to help.

"You can talk to me, you know," she said to him, as the two of them trailed after the rest of the group.

He turned to look at her, slightly surprised that she had caught on. It wasn't that strange once he thought about it. Weiss was observant when she wanted to be. And she meant well.

"I… I guess I'm not myself," Jaune admitted.

Weiss took a step to the side, walking closer to him now, so that their arms brushed against each other.

"And why is that?" she asked.

Jauned took a deep breath.

"Have you ever reached a fork in the road?"

"Like an actual fork in the road or a metaphorical one?"

Weiss swore internally. Ruby's influence was starting to show. She was making more of these quips.

Still, Jaune chuckled a bit, so at least it wasn't annoying.

"I mean, a point in life where you have a choice between two paths. Two ways of doing things. Two ways of living."

Of course she had. All human beings capable of making a choice had been there. Weiss herself had had to choose between being a puppet and being her own person, a free individual. In fact, she had a massive task ahead of her for the sake of following through on that very choice.

She hadn't known Jaune was facing something like that too. Even with what she knew about him, there was something she wasn't aware of. She wanted to know those things. Wanted to help him.

"What is this about, Jaune?"

Jaune looked straight ahead as they walked, not making eye contact with her.

When he spoke, his voice was hard.

"Hokuto Shin Ken originated as an assassination art. A means to end lives with the greatest efficiency. A long time ago, the first practitioners were the loyal protectors of the Emperor. Their task was to eliminate all who threatened him. However, as the art was passed from one generation to the next, it was realized that not all who come from royal blood are worth serving. It was realized that perhaps, the world might be better off without an Emperor. So, our task changed. We did not serve any man, but God in Heaven. It was not our place to judge His creations, or look down on our fellow beings. But it was our task to protect the innocent, and preserve life. To this end, the Successor to Hokuto Shin Ken is meant to be the servant of the God of War in this world, and if He sees fit, His vessel."

Weiss listened intently, taking in every word. Jaune had not revealed this before. Though he had spoken about the Fist of the North Star before, he had not gone into any specifics. This was the first she was hearing about the origins of the legacy he had inherited, and the reason behind his duty.

He continued.

"As a servant of the War God, the Successor protects life by destroying all who threaten it. For generations, each Successor has kept peace to the best of their ability, by eliminating evil. I have done so as well."

Weiss stared at him.

It had been a while, but the dark side of Jaune that had intimidated her so much had surfaced again.

This was the reason everyone had been terrified when he had disciplined Cardin.

It was the reason why armed White Fang members had backed away from him.

It was the reason Weiss had known from the look in his eye that Jaune could end lives.

Right now, he had admitted as much, without any regret or shame.

It scared Weiss even now. But, she knew him better. She knew that he was a good person. And she cared about him. That meant accepting him. All of him. The light and the dark.

Jaune's expression changed, the light of certainty in his eyes flickering.

"I have mentioned before that it is not my place to judge. I do not pretend to know better than anyone else. But I have been given power, and with that power comes responsibility. My heart is my guide, and I must trust it. When I was in the wilds… it was not hard to know what I had to do. I knew who was too dangerous to let live, and who could do good if they survived. Despite everything I knew about how grey the world is… I could only see in black and white. Certainly, even now, I am certain I will come across evil that my heart will not tolerate. But I have realized… that things aren't always so cut and dry.

At the docks that night when we went to find Blake… I fought a criminal. I do not know what acts he might have committed in the past. In front of my very eyes, he tried to have three people gunned down. The me of the past would have finished off such a person without a shred of hesitation. My intention was the same… but then…"

Jaune paused, and swallowed.

"That man did something amazing. He protected someone else. It seemed she was like a daughter to him. And so, he stood in front of her, begging me to end his life, as long as it meant I could spare her.

When he did that, I knew in my heart that I couldn't strike him down. It… just wouldn't be right.

So I let them go. I do not regret that decision. But… a few days ago, on that mission… my sister, Lily. She came across two students who had been living at Beacon. They had claimed to be from Haven, but in truth were infiltrators. Of course, Lily killed them swiftly. I can see the logic behind her actions, Weiss. Infiltrators, allied to people trying to destroy humanity. Who knows how many lives they've taken in the past. How many more they were willing to take if they had lived. How many they had tortured, and how many they would have. In so many ways, my sister was right in finishing them. But…

… I hesitated. When I learnt of what she had done, I could only think of how she should have tried to apprehend them instead.

When I see people now… my heart is not always certain. In some cases, there is yet good in a person who has chosen the wrong path. And… I can't take away from them the chance to change. To turn their life around. Yet… in hesitating, I may end up sparing those who are evil, and intend to remain so. For a Successor to Hokuto Shin Ken… a weak heart is shameful. It makes me unfit. Unfit to wield this power. Unable to perform my task properly."

And all of a sudden, the darkness that had been so intimidating just a moment ago stopped scaring Weiss at all.

Sure, Jaune the martial artist was dangerous.

But Weiss knew Jaune the _person_. And right now, she was seeing him clearly. His insecurities had become crystal clear. A lot of people were anxious about their grades. Their bodies. Their looks. Their abilities. Their bank balances. Jaune was anxious about whether or not he was doing his duty right as a Successor of Hokuto Shin Ken. His fear was that he was losing his grip on his ability to evaluate character, which would essentially make him a liability.

While the specific things he feared might be different, the fear itself, the anxiety over something that mattered to him… was relatable to any human being who could comprehend and think about their own life.

Weiss' hand closed around his own.

"You're having doubts about killing people? That's called being human, Jaune."

He turned to look at her, expecting to see a familiar sarcastic smile, and instead, being greeted by a genuine, earnest one.

"When the time comes, you'll be able to make the right choices. Believe in your heart, Jaune. Believe in yourself. I do. You should as well."

There was a strength in her gaze. It wasn't the glassy look of someone deluded. This was the look of a person who was willing to see the good and the bad in him, as it was, without trying to distort either. And it was the look of one who accepted both.

That sort of faith in him made him want to be a better man.

"Lost the fight, won the war…" muttered Jaune. It appeared Weiss had won the day's duel after all.

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"

"Never mind. Thanks, Weiss."

He squeezed her hand slightly in appreciation.

"You're welcome."

They walked in silence for a while until she punched him in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"That's why you were super motivated in the spar? Because you thought you were losing your heart?"

"Eh? Of course not," replied Jaune. "That has nothing to do with it."

"Then…"

This time Jaune smiled slightly.

"Believe it or not, you're not an opponent I can take lightly. If I left openings, I might very well have been the one to lose. Besides. It's disrespectful to not fight properly."

**Special Dorm, Beacon:**

Lily closed the open window on her Scroll, done reading the document. A classified report from the Atlas military's database. Part of a larger folder containing all known information about Hokuto Shin Ken.

_Targeting pressure points. Combat based on freeform versions of several martial arts. Increased physical abilities, and manipulation of one's Aura._

_All known Hokuto Shin Ken Successors have displayed these abilities and skills. No mention is made of any Successors losing a battle. If I go only off what I know of their abilities, what I've seen Jaune do, and what records exist…_

_Hokuto Shin Ken is invincible._

However, Lily knew that nothing under the Heavens was invincible.

Her own Master, Guts, had proven that time and time again, by killing beings who had called themselves God Hand.

In the case of Hokuto Shin Ken, there was a curious anomaly.

During the Civil War between humans and Faunus, three warriors had risen.

All three had been from Hokuto Shin Ken.

Kenshiro, the chosen Successor. Known as a hero of the people, a protector of the innocent. He had not taken any sides, instead, travelling the lands, ending war cruelty by killing the perpetrators.

Toki, known as a legendary healer, and called by some a son of God. He too had taken no sides. But rather than Kenshiro's path of destruction, he had chosen to treat the sick and wounded, saving countless lives.

And finally, Raoh. Called the Conqueror at the Century's End, he was legendary for his power and violence. Raoh had amassed an army of his own, and his goal had been complete domination. To this end, his legion had devastated the forces of the four kingdoms, as well as those of Menagerie.

By the end of the Civil War, only one remained, Kenshiro. Nothing else was officially acknowledged.

However, Atlas records had anecdotal reports as well.

According to these, the three brothers of Hokuto had fought, many a time.

When still young, Toki had been the thought the one most likely to be named Successor. It was mentioned by several sources that at the time, his skill had been greater than either of the other two.

Then there was Raoh, who had been called the one least likely to become Successor. There were statements from several sources that he had been the one to kill his Master, the previous Successor. Despite Toki's superior skill at the time, Raoh was generally acknowledged as being the strongest of the three.

Then there was Kenshiro, who had started out behind both his brothers, but gradually surpassed them.

The reports said that Toki was weakened by a sickness that resulted from radiation poisoning, thus preventing him from ever reaching his full potential.

Raoh, on the other hand, had gotten stronger and stronger, his skill improving by leaps and bounds as he learned secrets from other styles.

Thus, the conclusive duel for the future of the God Fist was fought between Raoh and Kenshiro.

By all accounts, Kenshiro had convincingly won, leaving no doubt as to who the rightful Successor was.

What had led to this enormous increase in strength and skill?

From being the least noticeable of the three brothers, to the most powerful of them?

From here, the accounts of eyewitnesses and people who knew Kenshiro became less focused on combat.

In fact, most would have thought the trail was dead, and given up trying to derive anything further from those accounts.

However, Lily was not so certain.

Curious, she had read about these apparently unrelated aspects of Kenshiro's life.

Like the fact that he had been in a relationship with a woman named Yuria.

Like the fact that both his brothers had also had feelings for her.

And the fact that right before the outbreak of the Civil War, Yuria had been kidnapped.

However, by all accounts, Kenshiro and Yuria reunited at the end of the War.

Meaning, he must have been searching for her. Tracking down her kidnappers in order to find and rescue her.

It was during this journey that he had gained the tremendous growth in power and skill needed to defeat Raoh.

How and why?

Lily's common sense told her that tracking down a kidnapped woman during a time of war was next to impossible. The sheer stress of such an endeavour, along with the physical and emotional trauma it must have involved, would change any person.

There was no mention of Yuria following a period of four years from the end of the War.

And Kenshiro had mentored Jaune, who had mentioned he had travelled the wilds. It was unlikely Kenshiro would take Yuria along on such an arduous journey.

The only logical explanation was that he had left her somewhere.

But it seemed extremely unlikely that Kenshiro would willingly part with her.

Thus, Lily came to the conclusion that Yuria must have died.

It was _after_ this that the anecdotal reports of Kenshiro's feats reached truly astronomical heights.

Strange. Many people lost the will to fight after losing a loved one.

But a hint was found in a statement associated with Hokuto Shin Ken.

_He who does not know sorrow, does not know strength._

That would explain everything, and be perfectly in line with the vision the Relic had shown her.

Hokuto Shin Ken's greatest secret lay in its Successors surviving profound personal tragedy. One who did so unlocked some kind of hidden strength that far surpassed anything Lily knew of.

This was the Jaune in her vision.

An older, rougher Jaune, who had lost everything he cared about, but in exchange, gained godlike power.

"So that's it, then. That's the fate of the Successor, huh?"

Lily had spoken to Ozpin, who had said that the Shinken's duty was to protect and preserve the world.

So this was to be Jaune's fate.

Martyred to protect a world that no longer held any joy for him.

This scarred Jaune was guaranteed to have enough power to protect the world.

On the other hand was the first vision Lily had seen. One in which he was happy and smiling. One in which he was with her, with his friends.

Was that scene only a snapshot then? A brief moment of happiness in an otherwise blasted future? Or would somehow, the combined strength of them all be enough that Jaune would not have to lose everything to save the world?

Lily clenched her fist.

"I see. I see clearly now. If this is your fate… then screw fate. Come at me with Hokuto Shin Ken, Jaune. I'll crush you at your best, so that you can finally live in peace and joy. With all my strength, I'll regain our lives. Both of ours." 


	22. A Berserker's Tale

**Author's note (Please read): I realize it's very self-indulgent to have a chapter dedicated entirely to an OC, but this is actually necessary to the plot and character development, so I ask that you bear with me just this once. Also, we are finally nearing the end of the season, which means that the next chapter will have the long awaited Sibling Showdown.**

**Also, I see that a lot of people are afraid that Jaune will be relegated to someone who needs to be saved. THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Jaune is, and always will be, an absolute fucking badass in this fic, and OP as hell. He is rightfully the MC here, and will be, right to the end. He won't be replaced, downplayed, or nerfed.**

**Season 2 Chapter 8: A Berserker's Tale**

**4 years ago, Arc household:**

"What did you say?"

The Arc patriarch lowered his head, unwilling to answer. There was not a single pair of eyes in the family that could face their youngest daughter.

"_What did you say?"_ Lily Arc asked, once more.

"Jaune… can't be found. He isn't in this town anymore. He… might not be in Vale anymore."

Lily's eyes widened. First in shock, then in anger.

She walked forward and grabbed her father's shirt by the collar, having to reach up because of how much taller he was.

"What?"

Several gasps were heard. This was an unprecedented breach of etiquette in the Arc family, which prided itself on tradition, hierarchy and respect. For the youngest daughter to treat the current head with such disdain and open anger was unheard of.

"Lily, cut it out-" began one of the elder sisters.

"Know your role and shut your mouth," said Lily. Her fury had taken her far past the point of reasoning or restraint.

Instantly, the one who had spoken clamped her hands on her mouth, ceasing speech.

In this family, where one's place was decided on the basis of relation and fighting strength, Lily outranked all her sisters despite being the youngest. She was a once in an era prodigy, possessing an Aura that far surpassed even the patriarch, and a genius talent for fighting that was close to impossible for a girl of thirteen years of age.

"Lily, that's enough," said Julianna Arc, her mother.

"No! You did this to him. All of you."

Lily let go of her father's collar and backed away, the expression on her face changing to disgust.

"You did this to him with your constant looking down, your constant indifference. You drove him out of this house."

"That wasn't my intention," began Mr Arc.

"Then why?" screamed Lily. "Not once did you agree to train him. Day after day, he worked on his own, worked himself to the bone. Not one word of encouragement did you have to offer him. Not one word of advice. Not one word of acknowledgement. You spit on his spirit and his effort!"

"He wasn't meant for combat!" shouted the patriarch, finally at his patience's end. "He was weak! Wouldn't even have made it through combat school. I was trying to protect his life!"

"You don't know that!" Lily fired right back. "Are you so used to prodigies that you can't even train someone who doesn't display your oh-so-precious talent right off the bat? People get stronger as they learn. Through experience. You could have given him that. You _should_ have given him that! _He was your son!"_

"You didn't do anything either, Lily!" shouted another voice.

Several others rallied in support of that voice.

"You bullied him worse than anyone here!"

"That's right. You never helped him. You were the one who went and rubbed every defeat in his face, constantly needling him, constantly competing with him and beating him, even though you knew he couldn't win!"

Lily's eyes narrowed in distaste.

"I see now. You don't have a functioning brain, do you?" she said to her sibling.

"Lily!" screamed her mother.

The girl continued, not backing down.

"Yes, I teased him. Yes, I never took it easy on him. In a family where everyone looked down on him, treated him like a baby, I gave him the respect of treating him as an equal. You're all soft. You're all weak. How dare you insult someone's fighting spirit by holding back? Not once did he ask me to take it easy on him. Not once. You know what that takes? A spine, some guts and a pair of balls. It seems he was the only one in this family who has those things."

A stinging impact of flesh on flesh was heard, echoing through the halls of the Arc house.

The patriarch had slapped Lily.

Pin-drop silence reigned. Lily's mother covered her mouth with her hands. Not a single soul dared speak.

The patriarch's eyes were red, bloodshot. He seemed on the verge of tears, even as he realized, too late, what he had done. He reached out a hand, and began to apologize.

Lily knocked his hand away.

Her eyes were cold now.

"You're no family of mine," she said. "I have no respect for those who can't hold on to one of their own."

Things were never the same after that in the Arc family.

Lily did not attend the Combat school for Hunters. A few days later, she enlisted in the Atlas Military's Combat Preparatory Course, which had sent scouts to recruit potential warriors.  
At age 13, she left the family home, without a penny to her name, or any possessions apart from the clothes she wore.

She refused to even accept the weapons that had been forged for her, discarding them as one more relic of the family she had left.

Transported to Atlas, the new world she found herself in was far harsher than her former home had been.

In the army, the talent her family had praised her for did not make her special.

She was like every other recruit, every other trainee. Worked to the bone, without mercy, quarter or restraint. No special treatment was given. The food was tasteless, meant to supply nothing other than nutrients. The hours were long and arduous. Spent lifting weights. Spent running. Spent fighting. And fighting. And fighting. And studying. By the time night came, sleep came as soon as she lay down.

Many of her fellow recruits initially scoffed at the idea of a spoiled noble joining the army. But Lily's eyes had changed. Not once did she talk back to commanding officers or drill instructors. She was like a machine. Relentless.

It wasn't talent alone that raised her up.

It was the effort she put in, ten times as hard as everyone else.

Her performance in every single test shattered all previous records in Atlas history.

Soon, the Preparatory Course had nothing left to teach her.

So, Lily languished in boot camp, until General James Ironwood himself visited the institution to see for himself the rumoured child who could best multiple armed adult warriors barehanded.

When Ironwood looked upon Lily Arc, he did not see a human being.

He saw a wild animal barely pretending to be human. Eyes that were devoid of all emotion, and a body hardened by constant training, bearing countless scars. The golden hair the Arcs were so proud of had been close to blackened.

"Why push yourself so hard?" Ironwood asked. "When you graduate, the same fate awaits you as the others. Your life belongs to Atlas. You will go to war, and someday, die defending humanity."

"Permission to speak honestly, General."

"Granted."

Lily's eyes flashed.

"I don't give a flying fuck about all that. I don't care if my life ends. I don't care about my comrades. I don't care about humanity. I'm not a soldier, General. Just a mad dog. Set me loose on your enemies. That's all I'm good for."

Ironwood had heard plenty of boasting in his time. Plenty of proud claims from those who couldn't live up to them. Yet, he did not sense any exaggeration here.

This really was a relentless fighter, who lived only to beat down the next enemy put in front of her.

"You don't have anything to live for," Ironwood stated, understanding the reason behind her nature.

Lily said nothing.

"Your life is worthless," he said.

Once again, she said nothing.

"Then I'll take that life, and give it meaning. You are to come with me, to Central. To Atlas Academy. We will test you. We will try you. If you are found wanting, we will discard you. Should you survive, we will throw you into the battlefield you so desperately crave, where the only fate that waits is a hail of bullets."

"No, General."

Lily smiled.

"_I don't die. I do the killing."_

Ironwood nodded. He expected nothing less. From the only person in several generations to be allowed to graduate early from the Preparatory Course, he would accept nothing less than complete annihilation.

There was a very special warrior in Atlas. One who had agreed to teach at the Academy. He had said he would accept only one disciple. Only one.

That disciple needed to be a monster in human form.

Not a soldier.

A rabid berserker, to let loose on Salem and her cohorts.

And so, Lily was taken to Atlas Academy, where she met the first man to win her respect since leaving home.

The Black Swordsman, known only as Guts.

Standing over six feet, the man had been a mountain of bone and muscle, with arms as thick as most people's waists, and a back and leg that looked as if they could support actual mountains. One of his arms was amputated below the elbow, leaving only part of the forearm. He wore a prosthetic metal hand on the stump, with a design that looked centuries old. Blocky, with no consideration for aesthetics, it looked more like a hammer with fingers than a hand. He also had one eye missing, its lid always closed.

And he carried on his back the most massive sword Lily had ever seen.

It was unthinkable for most humans to even lift such a weapon, let alone reliably use it in battle.

"So you have to constantly flex your Aura just to lift this hunk of iron? That's kind of inefficient, old man," Lily had told him right away.

"Aura?" Guts had asked, seeming perplexed. "I don't have an Aura."

That single statement had blown her mind.

_He enters the battlefield without having his Aura unlocked?! And… he wields THAT with nothing but raw strength?_

"You're bluffing, old man!" Lily said, sure he was lying. After coming all the way here, she had been saddled with some old geezer who looked more impressive than he was. She was in half a mind to go to Ironwood and call him out on his bullshit.

"If you're uncertain, you can always try me," said Guts. "But if you'd rather not, that's fine as well. I have nothing I can do for someone who isn't willing to see."

Lily grinned and cracked her knuckles.

"Oh, I'll make you eat those words, old man."

And so they had fought.

Once. Twice. Thrice. Ten times. On the day of their very first meeting.

Every time, Lily had lost. Convincingly.

Panting, she struggled to stand.

"I'm… stronger… faster… how do you keep beating me."

"Strength and speed come later. You lack the most important thing."

Lily stared at him.

"What the hell is it?"

"Heart. Courage. Conviction. You're an empty shell, with nothing to fight for. That kind of soulless husk will never defeat me."

Lily's eyes widened.

After all the time she had spent programming her own feelings out of herself, she had learnt that it had all been useless.

"Go home, kid. I'll tell Ironwood to grant you an honorable discharge. You're still young, with a life to live. You shouldn't even be on a battlefield."

"DON'T YOU DARE GIVE ME THAT SHIT! I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY! I WILL FIGHT! IF I'M WEAK, I'LL DIE!"

"You don't know anything, do you?"

Guts had grabbed her by the back of her collar and carried her, like a cat by the scruff of the neck, all the way to the Emergency Room, where injured soldiers were treated.

All around, on the beds, lay warriors. Bleeding. Bruised. With arms, legs, eyes, ears missing. Others with bullet wounds. Yet others who were shivering, as if freezing.

"Take a look. This is war. This is the battle you've been after all this time. Your ego means nothing here. It won't save these people. It can't stitch their wounds. Can't restore the limbs they've lost. Can't heal their spirits. And most of all… it can't bring back the dead."

The sight and his words completely crushed the way of life Lily had cultivated for a year, since leaving the household.

Her pride was broken, and she was humbled.

"Don't you dare look away," Guts said. "Honour their sacrifice. None of these people have your power or skills. But I'd choose them to fight by my side over you, any day. The quality of their conviction surpasses yours. You understand, don't you? They came here to fight. Not to prove a point, but to protect something. They chose to face the pain, and live, unlike you, who ran away. I don't know your past… but I know someone who's running away when I see one."

Lily's voice shook.

"I… I don't have anything. I don't have anything to fight for."

"That's bullshit. If nothing else, you fight for survival. Value your own life! Live, so that you find something worth living for!"

Silence followed, until Lily spoke.

"I… I had a brother once. I haven't seen him in a year. I don't even know if he's still alive."

"Well, you sure as hell aren't going to find out if you get yourself killed."

"I… I want to see him again. More than anything… I want to see him."

"Then live, and fight! Live, and value your own life. Live, and fight, so that no one else is parted from people they care about."

Lily bowed her head.

It had taken a while, but she had found someone she respected, at last.

Her life began as Guts' apprentice.

The following year was spent training. Unlike the aspiring Hunters at the Academy, she lived in the barracks, with Guts and the soldiers. Ate with them, trained with them, slept in the same quarters as them.

She became infamous as the Foul Mouthed Kid. However, there was genuine warmth behind the nickname. At long last, her frozen heart was being opened once again.

It was a far cry from the affairs of nobles, but she came to know the troubles of soldiers, of her comrades, who were from many walks of life. She was the youngest one there, and listened with rapt attention as they spoke of their families, and their friends. Of their dreams, and their nightmares. Their stories, and their jokes.

Since parting with Jaune, this was her first real sense of belonging anywhere.

It was at the end of her first year of training with Guts that everything changed.

It came suddenly. Internal bleeding, resulted in vomitted blood. Followed soon after by a brief moment when her heart stopped.

It was only Guts' timely intervention that got her to Medical Bay in time.

Lily was diagnosed with a rare non-communicable disease resulting from an anomaly in her DNA.

Her internal organs were failing. Heart, kidneys, liver, stomach.

Overnight, her life changed. She was put on life support, sustained only through being strapped to a hundred different machines.

She hadn't been able to look Guts in the eye when he came to visit after the emergency treatment.

"It's all over, huh? What a sick joke," she said, not looking at him.

Guts, on his part, was crushed. He had already lost many companions close to him, and had lived his life watching good people succumb to painful fates. And now it had happened again, to a promising young woman with her entire life ahead of her.

But he would not offer her pity.

Not that.

A splendid person like that deserved better.

"It's only over when you give up," he said, fully aware that he was asking something next to impossible.

"Enough, old man. You don't need to cheer me up."

"I'm not trying to. I'm trying to tell you not to be a little weakling. So you have a sickness. You're just going to roll over and let it walk all over you?"

"What the hell can I do?" Lily asked, laughing bitterly. "I can't even eat or drink anymore. Got a million fucking tubes stuck in me. You might as well cut me down with the Dragonslayer. Dying's better than this."

"So that's it, huh? All this time, and you still haven't learned to value your own life."

Lily's eyes widened.

And then an actual miracle happened.

She sat up in bed. Arms struggling to support her torso upright.

"Ahahaha… you're a crazy old man… but you're right. I want to see my brother. At least one more time."

Guts' sole remaining eye widened.

_This girl…_

Even when he had taunted her in an effort to trigger her instincts to fight, to struggle to live, he had never in his wildest dreams expected that she'd be able to manage this much.  
He realized now that his actions had had an effect far beyond what he had foreseen.

He had asked the impossible of her… and she was trying to make it happen.

If he backed down now… if he showed anything less than complete faith in her, that beautiful courage would be broken.

He couldn't let that happen.

If it was the last thing he did, he had to ensure this flawless spirit remained unbroken.

So he had laughed.

"Easy, tiger. Rest for now. The scientists here can cook up some crazy stuff. I'll talk to them and we'll see if we can fix something up for you. For now, try to get some sleep for the night, okay?"

She nodded, lying back down, and Guts began to leave.

"Guts."

He turned to face her.

Lily looked intensely at him.

"Thank you."

He turned away, simply waving as he walked away. He couldn't show any weakness. Not now. Not ever. Not to her.

The next morning, Guts approached the Atlas council, and asked them to consider building a machine that would allow Lily to live normally.

The request was refused.

The costs of building a suit to serve as mobile support, and the costs of maintaining such a suit, were too high to spend on a single soldier, much less a sick one, who would not be of much use in combat.

Guts had shouted, raged, sworn, but his demands were not met.

He left the room with a heavy heart.

There was only one thing he could have done for her… and he had failed at that.

Now, it was his duty to look her in the eye, and tell her that, face to face.

To his immense surprise, Lily took the news without reacting much.

"I see," she said, closing her eyes. "Thank you for trying, Guts. I am sorry I wasn't a better apprentice. You've done all I could ask from anyone. Don't worry about me anymore."

"That's bullshit! Of course I'm going to wor-"

"Guts." Lily's tone was different. Calm. Lacking in her normal fire. Yet, it wasn't a tired voice. There was emotion in it, something she rarely showed.

"Thank you," she said simpy. "I understand at last, what you meant. It's not about a machine. It's about the will to live. I understand now. Even if it hurts… I won't give up. Not until the end. I'm not a good apprentice… but I won't quit. Until the end."

For the first time in decades, Guts had no reply.

This girl, so much younger than him… reminded him of himself.

In every way… she was a Struggler.

There was nothing he _could_ say to her now.

Lily's fighting style was different from his own. Her natural powers far outstripped his own. She came from a life completely different from his own.

Yet, she had inherited his legacy in a way that went beyond training under him.

Guts refused to leave that night, falling asleep in a chair next to her bed.

When he awoke, it was still dark out, and he heard the sounds of wires being removed from flesh.

Alarmed, he opened his eyes, and saw Lily on her feet. She had already removed the tubes connected to her.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

She didn't turn around. Although slightly unsteady on her feet, she remained vertical, and took a staggering step forward. Then another. She began to move towards the door.

Guts rushed forward to support her, but was thrown back by an invisible force.

"Damn it! Don't use your Aura! In this condition, it'll-"

"Of course I'll use my Aura! It's the only thing keeping me standing!"

Lily's steps grew faster, and she picked up the pace, breaking into a run as she approached the door, and barreled past it.

_Shit!_

Guts chased after her, but Lily had broken into a full sprint now.

As Guts followed her, he realized she was heading towards… _his room_?

_Why would she go there?_

_Unless…_

With a growing horror, he understood what she was planning.

He pushed his muscles, going as fast as he could, many times as fast as an ordinary human, but still not as fast one who could channel their Aura.

He arrived at the doorway, to find her already inside… and clad in that cursed item.

_The Berserker's Armour_.

"What… what have you done…?"

Lily was panting heavily, sweat streaming down her face as the insides of the cursed suit burned, its power entering her.

She screamed in agony.

Guts was too late.

There was now no other option but to take the armour off her. But… it was extremely risky. The sentient suit's metal teeth might clamp onto her, in which case she'd bleed to death if they tried removing it.

In front of his eyes, the armour's shape changed.

This too was part of its behaviour. The metal would bend, warp and shift itself into an image of the wearer's inner demon.

In Lily's case, the silhouette became feminine, but also powerful, like a humanoid beast. The helm, however, did not turn bestial. Instead, it took the shape of a traditional knight's helm.

Then, as Guts watched, that helm slid back, and the shifting of the metal stopped.

_She… managed to tame the Armour?_

The strength of will that took… was incredible.

Lily panted heavily, but smiled.

"See? I don't need them to build me some machine. I have my Aura, and I have this. Maybe I'm not a useless apprentice after all, huh? Come on, say it. Tell me I'm fucking cool."

A single tear rolled down from Guts' remaining eye.

"_Light, warmth, life. The armour will take many things from you before you die,"_ he said, repeating the words he had been told when he had worn the suit.

"That's okay. I know now. I understand: it's disrespect to waste those things. But to live fully, and to strive for what one wants… there's nothing wrong with that. I'll live, and I'll fight to live. I'll fight for my comrades. And… I'll fight to see my brother again. Until that happens, I'll live." 


	23. The Godfist of Remnant

**Author's note: This note is a bit long, and as always, you're welcome to skip it, but I appreciate people taking the time to read it.**

**This is the first fic I've written that's hit 1000 favs and 1000 follows. I don't judge my own stories by the numbers they achieve, but having support is so important. I don't know if any of you have followed my previous works, but I used to be a pretty frequent writer for the fandom of an anime called My Teen Romantic Comedy is Wrong as Expected. It's a beautiful series, and possibly my favourite of all time. Being a show featured around realistic depictions of teens struggling to deal with life, alienation and growing up, there weren't a lot of fics about it that were action-centric. But I wrote two different stories that were sci-fi/fantasy/action. Both of them ended up being, I like to think, quite beloved. I got a lot of support, and those stories meant a lot to me. Until I screwed both of them up (cuz I'm an overall ass that way, haha). I didn't really have a way to make it up to the readers who had given me so much encouragement, and who meant so much to me. I kept thinking I should rewrite them both, but the way life works is that something broken can't always be pieced back together.**

**So it was with a heavy heart that I decided to try something else. This fic came during that time. Just an idea I had, that I didn't even know would succeed. But, I think I wanted to prove, at least to myself, that I could still write stories that would mean something to people.**

**I don't really know for sure if I was able to achieve a goal that arrogant, that selfish. But I read all the reviews I get for this story, and I think I was able to do **_**something**_ **at least.**

**Someday, I plan to return to the Oregairu fandom, and write for it again.**

**But right now, I have something I have to do here.**

**I started this story with a pretty simple idea in mind.**

**To create a Jaune who was strong. A Jaune who was unbeatable. A hero. Someone who could take on the sort of people I'd run from, and beat them. Someone who can face the sort of ordeals I've always run from, with courage and dignity, and smash them to bits. It wasn't really a self-insert. Just someone I wished I could be, and someone I could look up to.**

**My writing's immature at times, but I want to at least stay true to my vision.**

**It's taken 22 chapters to get here, but I'm finally going to deliver on what I imagined, and what I think you all wanted.**

**Thank you, all my readers, for everything. And sorry for this stupid fucking sob story.**

**It's time at last.**

**I present to you: Jaune Souther, of Hokuto Shin Ken, complete at last.**

**Season 2 Chapter 9: The Godfist of Remnant**

"_Affirmative. Targets eliminated." _

The sound recording ended.

Cinder read through the transcripts of the conversation as they were recorded in the report one more time.

_So this was how Torchwick and Neopolitan died._

They had been killed by Lily Arc, _after_ Jaune Souther had spared them.

Details of the deaths had been meticulously noted down in the report. Torchwick had been run through with the Dragonslayer, instantly destroying all the organs in his thoracic cavity. Neopolitan had been bisected horizontally below the rib cage.

Even Cinder, who had burned countless people to death, cringed at the gruesome ways in which they had died.

She closed the file on her Scroll. It hadn't been easy to obtain, but she'd managed to steal it from the Atlas Military's classified databanks. ****

"Huh. Well isn't this just perfect."

Information on Jaune Souther revealed him as being kindhearted. He had spared the lives of several White Fang members during the battle at the docks, and had fought to protect the rights of Faunus members in the school.

The polar opposite of Lily Arc, who was known as callous and mocking, and whom Cinder had witnessed with her own eyes killing her two proteges.

Done right, it would not be difficult to frame her as evil in Jaune's eyes.

Pushed that far, their battle during the Vytal Festival would be brutal… exactly the sort of bloodbath needed to summon the monster Salem had awoken for this very occasion.

It wasn't just an army of Grimm that awaited, although there was indeed a horde of the creatures gathering.

No, Salem had also raised from slumber _that thing_.

The bane of civilizations.

A beast that hadn't been seen since the calamity that destroyed the world, and left only Remnant in its weak.

The ancient horror that had shattered the moon.

The first, and mightiest of the Grimm.

Cinder smiled.

Yes, victory was all but within grasp.

**Vytal Festival Tournament Stadium. Opening of the Tournament:**

Cheers flooded the air, deafeningly loud. It was here at last. The event that people from all over Remnant had gathered for. The proving grounds for the best of the best, the brightest young aspiring Hunters from across the world to determine convincingly who truly stood atop the mountain.

In the centre of the stadium, on a massive raised podium, stood the headmaster of this year's host school: Ozpin.

"_**Ladies and Gentlemen,**_" he said, his voice amplified manifold by the microphone he was holding. "_**You've waited long for this, but the time is here at last. The Vytal Festival commences… NOW!"**_

Ear-splitting roars of approval, the clapping of hands, and the stomping of feet. There was not a bar in the four kingdoms where the patrons weren't cheering with mugs of beer or glasses of whiskey in hand.

"**We have many promising young warriors this year. An unusually high number, to be sure. And so, the normal rules could not suffice. While it is true that the ability to work with one's teammates determines survival or failure on the battlefield… there is no denying that an individual must be strong on their own first. And in any case… we are here to find out who the best is, are we not?"**

Once more, applause. The world was loving this. Everything Ozpin was saying was in line with their own thoughts.

"**With that in mind, this year's tournament… will NOT be fought by teams, but by individual Hunters! In the arena, there are no allies, only rivals! Fight with strength and honour, and strive for victory! The One-on-One Tournament… is now OPEN!"**

Panes of glass barely withstood the vibration of the cheers that followed.

Remnant was _ecstatic_.

One on one fights meant the tournament would last longer. And also, they would be far harder fought, with the superior warrior becoming abundantly clear. And of course, many secretly wanted to see team members duke it out amongst each other to determine who among them reigned supreme.

Ozpin had vacated the stage, and the cameras now shifted to the commentary and judging table, which was occupied by Professors Port, Oobleck and Goodwitch.

Goodwitch frowned slightly but quickly smoothed over her expression. She had found out only last night that the tournament would be held in a one-on-one format. Someday, Ozpin's habit of withholding information would be the death of her. She resolved to give him a piece of her mind later.

For the moment, there was a job to be done.

"**All right! If you will look towards the screen, the list of this year's entrants, and the Tournament brackets will be visible!" **said Port, speaking into a microphone.

"**Indeed! And as you can all see, competition will be stiff."**

Goodwitch pulled her mic closer and spoke.

"**The first fight will begin in fifteen minutes. This fight will pit two of this generation's brightest against each other."**

The display depicted, clad in full body armour, and armed with her trademark zweihander, Lily Arc.

"**From Atlas Academy: she is a Specialist in Atlas' Military. Hailing from the famous Arc family, her scores have shattered all records in the school's history. Ladies and gentlemen, she is the proud flower of the Arc bloodline, Lily Arc!"**

Massive applause broke out, and more than one Atlas soldier roared their support.

Eventually, however, the applause quietened, a tense silence building, along with anticipation, to discover who the unfortunate opponent was.

The display flashed, going through various faces, until it stopped at one. That person's full image was then displayed.

Standing tall, in his leather travelling clothes, with no weapon other than his own body… was Jaune Souther.

"**From Beacon Academy. He is a newcomer who broke the scoring system during all physical tests. He is a fighting force unlike any other, showing that his fists are better than any blade. Ladies and gentlemen, he is the phenom who is being called a once-in-an-era coming: Jaune Souther!"**

The Beacon sections of the crowd exploded, drowning out other voices. In particular, Faunus, the weaker students, and the outcasts screamed loud for the one who had stood by them.

And so, the crowd was already divided.

On the one hand, the military of Atlas, cheering for the broken girl who had dragged her pieces back together to fight, and saved the lives of countless comrades.

And on the other hand, the students and citizens of Vale, cheering for the boy who had unfailingly stood up against injustice, and never deserted anyone who needed help.

In the fighters' enclosure, teams RWBY and JNPR stared at the screen inside the room with wide eyes.

"Hey… this… this is some kind of joke, isn't it?" said Yang. "Isn't there supposed to be a seed system or something? But here…"

"They're putting two beasts against each other right off the bat…" muttered Ruby.

"This… is this really all right?" asked Blake, shooting a worried glance towards the door.

Jaune wasn't with them, having told them to go on, and assuring he would join them later. Had he known all along that he would be in the opening match?

"There's nothing that can be done about it," said Weiss. "He'll fight, as he always does, and the better fighter will win."

Despite her confident words, however, her hands were clenched into fists.

_Come on, Jaune. You can't lose here._

Why was he even worried about his losing?

Jaune had never appeared anything less than invincible in a fight.

She had never even seen him vaguely threatened during an encounter. So why now, of all times, was she afraid for him?

**Last Night:**

Jaune closed the open window on his Scroll, having finished listening to the audio file. There was no doubt about it. That had definitely been Lily's voice. Even if it had somehow been imitated with some kind of technology, it would not have been perfectly reproduced, and he would have been able to spot the difference.

The words she spoke, and what was stated in the report… made it completely clear.

The two lives he had spared… Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan… had both been snuffed out.

By Lily.

Tucking the Scroll away in his belt, he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Something up?" asked Ren from the desk.

"I have to go see someone," Jaune answered shortly.

He left the dorm, and the building, heading over to the one next door. He had never entered that building before, though he knew perfectly well who lived there.

He had never wanted to go see her. Until now.

He walked through the doors, entering the main hall.

Whether it was coincidence or not, the person he had come looking for was also in the main hall.

The two of them looked right at each other.

"Hey, hey, brother. You came to visit little old me. Aww, I'm so happy-"

"You killed them," said Jaune, cutting her short.

Her eyes widened in realization. Too late, she realized she had been unable to hide her reaction. No, perhaps she didn't even want to.

"... Where did you hear that?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter," said Jaune. "You were there that night at the docks. You saw everything, didn't you? The White Fang members. The Paladin. And everything else."

Lily opened her mouth, but closed it again. Finally, she nodded.

"Then why?"

Jaune's voice was quiet. It wasn't a calm voice however. It trembled.

Lily was many things, but she was not a liar. Not when it came to things like this.

"They were criminals, Jaune."

Jaune's facade finally cracked.

"They were just trying to live!" he shouted.

Lily flinched slightly, surprised by the vehemence of his anger, by his emotion.

His eyes were wide. It wasn't _just_ anger in there. They shimmered slightly, his brows furrowed in desperation. Desperately asking a question it was too late to ask.

"Why? They had just decided to leave that life behind. Put it all behind them, and just live. Turn over a new leaf. Why did you take that chance away from them? WHY?"

Lily looked down.

It was not the first time she had heard these questions.

She had asked them herself, many times.

Early in her career as a Specialist, she had been assigned many a mission that was difficult. Because those missions forced her to question her own ideals. Her own beliefs. The very foundations of what made her who she was.

But she was a soldier. She had seen war. Extensively followed and observed those who caused it. Over the years, she had been around more criminals than she could count. And she had seen what they were capable of.

"What do you know about those two?" she asked Jaune in a quiet voice.

"I know they were willing to give up their lives for each other!" he answered.

"And what about the many lives they took? Did you ever consider that they might have been trying to protect each other too? That they had things to live for?"

Jaune's eyes widened.

It crushed Lily's heart to see her brother like this.

Above and beyond everything: beyond his strength, beyond his skill, beyond the heart and effort it must have taken him to come so far, beyond the respect she had for him as a warrior, she knew one thing.

Jaune was a good person.

Above all, it hurt her to see this good person have to go through pain because of her actions. Because of the cycle of death and killing.

It wasn't that Jaune was too weak to belong on the battlefield.

He was too kind to belong there.

It was more suited to a wild animal like herself.

So, her task would be to completely defeat Jaune, so that he could finally live in peace. To defeat Jaune, and make sure he would never have to go through a sorrow that would change him. So that she could make that future a reality.

The future where they could all live together, happily.

"I've been studying up on Hokuto Shin Ken, Jaune," she said, each word breaking her heart even as she uttered it. "The Successor's task is to eliminate those who are evil, so that the innocent may live in peace. With a heart that weak, don't you think you are unworthy of the title?"

The words struck Jaune like a hammer blow, and his resolve wavered.

_Step one: weaken the enemy's heart._

It was a low tactic, one she would never dream of using on him.

But for the sake of his happiness, she was willing to go to any lengths.

She would use every unfair trick, every cheap tactic, every advantage she could get, and defeat him.

"Go rest, brother. Think about your life, and your choices. As you are now, you are unfit for this discussion."

**Present Time:**

Lily Arc prepared herself. Her armour was on, as always, and she was armed with her full loadout, including, of course, her trusty sword, the Dragonslayer.

She took deep breaths, willing her heartbeat to slow down, as she took control of her Aura.

This was it.

Beyond this point, there was no turning back.

She heard the announcer's voice, calling out her name, and walked down the corridor, towards the light.

The sunlight blasted her as she emerged into the open air, in the arena.

Deafening applause rang out.

She filtered it out, focusing only on the entrance right across the stadium.

The announcer's voice was heard.

"**And her opponent… Jaune Souther!"**

Cheers to match the ones for her exploded, and a lone figure appeared from the entrance.

They were many metres apart. The expression on his face revealed nothing as he walked forward. Yet, his gait seemed subdued. Lacking the extreme confidence he had displayed during the fight with Winter and Qrow, where he had effortlessly subdued them both.

He made his way up on to the stone platform, standing right across from her, looking down, unable to meet her eyes.__

_Yes. His heart is weak. No matter how strong he is, no matter how skilled… he cannot win without conviction. _

She stared him down.

The announcer spoke again, as the voices of the spectator's died down, each person too intent on seeing the action, unwilling to distract themselves with shouting.

"**For this classic battle of two time-tested traditions: those of the Knight and the Fistfighter, there is no ground more fitting… than this open arena. No environmental elements to hide behind. Their skills will clash here, until only one of them remains standing. Are you ready?"**

Both fighters nodded.

"**Then begin!"**

A barrier came up, surrounding the stone platform, making sure the fight would not spill out into the spectators' stands.

Lily stared at her brother, who had still not moved, or even gotten into stance. In fact, he hadn't even been able to make eye contact yet.

_For you, brother. _

Her helmet slid over her face, encasing her completely in the armour, and the fearsome eyes of the Berserker glowed red. The mechanised clasps on her back launched the Dragonslayer into the air, and she caught it one-handed as she slid her feet wider apart, lowering her hips as she tensed.

Her distorted voice spoke.

"_**1800 years of Hokuto Shin Ken come to an end, now!"**_

She pushed, the powerful muscles of her legs, fuelled by the strongest Aura in Arc history, launching her forward like a missile. The lunge was so powerful, she didn't need to take a single step in between, the initial jump itself carrying her straight towards him, clearing the distance of ten metres between them in an instant.

Midway through that distance, she gripped the handle of the Dragonslayer with her left hand as well, allowing the blade to trail behind her even as her torso twisted to the side in preparation.

When she was five feet away, her feet hit the ground and she twisted her hips, unwinding her coiled torso, and her pulled back shoulders, as she used her entire body's strength to swing the Dragonslayer horizontally, aiming right for the middle of Jaune's body, as if to cut him down like a tree.

_It's over._

The power behind the swing was unreal, the air pressure alone battering the barrier with an impact that put the sounds of Bullheads taking off to shame.

The blade screamed through the air like a maddened beast thirsty for blood.

_Take that!_

Lily's muscles were stopped in their contraction, her core violently flexing to keep her from being flung off her feet.

_What the-_

Her momentum had been halted entirely.

The massive Dragonslayer, the bloodthirsty beast… had been stopped.

A fist was held against the edge of the sword, preventing it from moving forward.

_IMPOSSIBLE!_

Jaune still stood calmly, only with his body angled slightly to her. One arm hung casually by his side while the other was extended to hold the Dragonslayer in place. He did not look the slightest bit strained.

And he was finally looking up, right at her, into her eyes.

Lily's jaw dropped even inside the helm.

Jaune's eyes had no doubt in them. They stared right at her, unwavering, bottomless, holding untold power.

The prodigy of the Arc bloodline, who had never felt fear on the battlefield, felt a chill run down her spine.

_What in the hell have I picked a fight with?_

She snapped out of the funk, regaining her focus quickly.

Drawing the sword back, she swung it again, this time bringing it down vertically in a chopping motion.

This time, it was parried aside easily, again with the same fist.

Lily frowned, clenching her teeth.

_All right. So you can bench some weight and have some reflexes. That won't be enough._

Flooding her body with more Aura, she launched herself into series of slashes that caused every jaw in the arena, including the teachers', to drop.

The attacks came from every direction, the trajectory of the blade changing seemingly randomly, as Lily twisted, leapt and contorted to hammer at Jaune with a series of swings and thrusts, using the Dragonslayer as easily as if it were a rapier.

But not a single blow landed. Not taking a single step back, Jaune negated every attack by swaying aside or backwards minimally, or simply batting the blade aside with his fist.

Lily finally landed fifteen yards away, making distance when she saw her frontal attack had failed completely.

The crowd exploded again.

"_**Incredible! A stunning display of strength, agility and skill from Lily, who swings that massive blade like it weighs nothing!"**_

"_**But it's countered by Jaune, who probably hasn't heard that it's a good idea to punch the edge of a sword! But then again, the normal rules don't apply to him!"**_

From their distance of fifteen yards apart, Jaune and Lily locked eyes, and the girl could find no weakness in his gaze. Yet, this wasn't the cold stare she had come to expect from a Successor of the Assassin's Fist. It wasn't the gaze of someone who would kill without a second thought.

If anything, everything about Jaune screamed that he _didn't _want to kill.

"You were right," said the young warrior. "Someone who hesitates as much as me probably isn't fit to be the Successor of an art meant for killing. Yet, I was chosen, by the only one who could have made the choice. And he told me to make my own Hokuto Shin Ken. To live life my own way."

For the first time since the start of the match, Jaune got into a fighting stance. It was the same balanced stance he had shown countless times, and it radiated determination.

"I won't view lives as cheap enough to be taken whenever I see fit. From now, until the end, I'll save as many lives as I can. _That's_ my way."

Lily straightened up.

She understood now. Her first step had backfired.

Instead of weakening Jaune's heart, she had made it even stronger.

_Makes perfect sense. You were always the strongest one inside. I guess taking you out from the inside is out of the question. In that case…_

She switched her stance, sliding her feet wider apart, and dropping her hips lower than before, keeping both knees equally bent, and her weight centred.

The Dragonslayer was held to the side at the waist, almost as if…

"An Iaido stance?" said Ren, who was watching everything from the fighter's enclosure.

"Iaido?" questioned Nora.

"A practical sword style that emphasizes drawing a sword quickly and cutting the opponent down, all in one smooth movement", answered Pyrrha, who had fought katana wielders before.

She frowned. That style was designed for the unique curved blade of a katana, because of the speed such a sword could allow. It simply didn't make sense to use it for a double edged sword like the Dragonslayer, which was also many times heavier and bigger.

_What the hell is she planning…_

In the arena, Lily gathered up her Aura, holding the power securely, building it up, as she prepared to draw on her special ability.

When she had gathered enough, she allowed her instinct to direct the power, blasting it into the world around her.

_**Semblance #2: The Outsider**_

"_**Now block this!"**_

Once more, Lily dashed forward. As she approached, Jaune noted her movements were different.

_It's like she's mimicking katana moves with that zweihander. But that isn't going to-_

His thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of pain.

Blood spurted from his body as Lily dashed right past him after completing her attack.

Jaune stumbled slightly, but stayed upright. The sword hadn't been able to leave deep gouges, but it had indeed left wounds on him. His right and left upper arms and knees had suffered cuts, and his torso and pelvis had been attacked as well, though his Aura shield had been able to hold firm in those places.

_But it doesn't make any sense… I saw only one blow coming… and I sensed only the intent for one blow._

His eyes widened as he realized what must have happened.

He turned to look at Lily.

"Timebending… where did you get a power like that?"

"I've always had it, brother. Though I only learned how to use it right a year ago."

"Faking an Iaido stance to throw off the opponent's read, then following up with nine traditional zweihander moves, all in almost the same instant, making it impossible to block all of them. Only with a Semblance like timebending is such a technique possible."

Jaune faced her again, and once more got into the same stance, gesturing at Lily to bring it on.

"Once more."

Lily grinned inside her helmet.

"It doesn't matter how many times you try, brother. All the power in the world can't help you if you're frozen in time, while I'm still moving."

"Then there's nothing stopping you, is there?"

In answer, Lily lowered into her stance again, this time not bothering with the Iaido bluff, since Jaune had seen through it.

_Doesn't matter. Even if you see this coming, there's nothing you can do about this. _

Summoning her power forth once more, she dashed in. Right when she entered slashing range, she blasted the world with it, slowing down the passage of time only for her, causing everything around her to move as if it were stuck in molasses, while she continued unaffected.

In this bubble of slowed time, she delivered all nine of her attacks.

Right and left sides of chest. Right and left sides of abdomen. Right and left thighs. Throat. Stomach. Groin.

She slid past Jaune, allowing time to flow normally again.

As soon as it did so, agony exploded in her body, as the Berserker's armour was shredded.

A gasp of shock went up from the crowd, to whom it looked as if Lily had suddenly collapsed for no reason, with her armour destroyed in places.

She struggled to get up, blood pouring from her mouth through the helm, on to the arena floor.

"How…?"

"Timebending isn't the same as time-stopping," Jaune answered. "And I've fought someone who can do that. Nearly died, but it taught me some things. I noticed the first time around that although miniscule, there was a tiny gap between each slash and thrust landing. That meant time was still moving, even during your Semblance."

_**Hokuto Nil Space Grasp: Receive You- Sets up an impenetrable barrier around the user, which intercepts all attacks, and stores information about how they were performed in the user's nervous system.**_

_**Hokuto Space Rending Reversal: Grant You- The user utilizes the stored information to return the favour to the attacker, hitting them in the exact same targets they had planned to strike, with the exact same amount of power.**_

Jaune straightened up from his stance.

Now that the Berserker Armour had been broken, gone was its ability to mask the pressure points of its wearer, as well as the flow of Ki (Aura).

Which meant… Jaune finally sensed the Lily that had always been inside the suit.

His eyes widened.

"Your organs are strained… unable to operate on their own. You're forcibly causing them to function, using your Aura."

Lily spat out the blood that had pooled in her mouth, and drew on her power, healing the surface and internal damage to her body. While the pain from the wounds was gone, there was now the pain from the enormous strain of using yet more of her energy.

Ignoring it, she got to her feet, and took off her helmet, throwing it to the ground.

Jaune's counterattack had killed the armour. The "soul" , the sentience of the armour was gone, and she no longer sensed it nourishing her, or reinforcing her. The modifications added by the scientists only functioned when the armour itself did, so those were destroyed too.

"You really are something else, you know that?" Lily said, as she took off her gauntlets. "The Berserker Armour survived encounters with actual demons. And it took you one move to break it."

Jaune shook his head. His expression was one of worry now.

"That's enough Lily. Please stop. If you keep this up-"

"What? I'll die? I came prepared for that."

She grabbed the breastplate and ripped it off herself, before doing the same with the leggings and greaves, until she stood clad only in a bodytight suit which she always wore under the armour.

"The Berserker Armour failed. The Dragonslayer failed. All my tactics failed too. The only thing I have left to use… is myself. From this point on… I won't hold back."

He stared at Lily, who stood with her arms to her side, fists raised, as she summoned her power. Her Aura was still growing.

She roared out loud as she pushed herself even further beyond, until it became visible in the form of glowing crimson flames that radiated off her.

And it was _still_ growing.

Lily's muscles flexed, actually growing, tightening, until each individual muscle was visible, and striated. Veins bulged all over her, and she bared her teeth from the effort of controlling that much power.

_**Semblance #3: Wrath of the Berserker**_**.**

_**Unlike Yang's semblance, which requires her to store energy from hits she has taken, or Nora's, which draws power from lightning, Lily's ability calls upon her own immense Aura to augment her body. Strength, endurance, speed, durability, senses, reaction times, aggression: everything is heightened.**_

  
With one more roar, the flames rising out of Lily took the shape of a spectral beast in the air above her, its silhouette surrounding her own.

"You ready?"

Lily's voice was distorted, strained, a forced growl.

Before Jaune could answer, she burst into movement. To the average observer, she would have disappeared from sight, even as the part of the floor she had been standing on was shattered, along with everything in a ten metre radius from it. The massive broken pieces of the stone ring threw up dust.

What felt like the force of a million cannonballs struck Jaune, who raised his arms in a crossguard.

The force of the hit smashed him once more into the barrier. And this time… it nearly cracked.

In the commentary table, Port and Oobleck looked at Goodwitch nervously.

"The barrier was set up properly, wasn't it? It's supposed to be able to withstand even missile bombardment…"

Goodwitch had no answer. She was staring at the battle in the ring, awestruck.

Lily's arm was still extended, pushing Jaune up against the barrier. He pushed her fist to the side and slipped out, able to escape the bad position, once more having the entire space of the ring to move around in.

"Not that easy!" growled Lily as she gave chase, attacking with a series of punches. While she did not know Hokuto Shin Ken, she was the unbeaten unarmed champion at Atlas, trained in Boxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu.

The combo that followed was brutal and relentless.

Left jab. Parried.  
Right cross. Dodged.  
Arm trap into right punch. Barely blocked.  
Head trap into clinch.  
Knee to ribs. Knee to ribs.  
Knee to head. Breaks through double handed guard.  
Clinch released as Jaune gets knocked back, hands no longer up, posture broken, off-balance.  
Follow up hook to the liver.  
Punch to solar plexus, doubling him up.

_He's weakening. Just a little more..._

She charged in with another jab, intending to end it with one more series of hits.

However, Jaune raised his hands, parrying the punch lightly while countering immediately with a jab of his own.

Lily grimaced in anger and pain.

She unleashed a flurry of attacks on him once more.

Left hook. Ducked and countered by hook to the body.

Right straight. Blocked with forearm, while returning fire with an elbow strike to the face.

Lily was pushed back by the hit, stumbling.

Even with her Aura firing on all cylinders, that elbow to the face had been no joke.

_Boxing and Karate?_

Jaune had his arms up high in a boxer's stance as he moved in for the first time on the offensive.

Left thrust kick. Connects with stomach, pushing Lily back.  
Left hook. Connects.  
Right hook. Connects.  
Left bodyshot. Right bodyshot. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left.  
Left palm uppercut to chin, rattling Lily's brain.  
Right palm strike to base of skull, doubling the damage.  
Jaune turned sideways and placed his extended fingers against Lily's sternum, before suddenly closing them into a fist, striking her a devastating one-inch-punch to finish the combo.

The hit sent Lily sprawling on her back, and she split apart the stone platform as if it were water as she went sliding.

By the time the momentum dissipated, she was right at the edge, her head touching the barrier as she lay on bare ground.

Lily's head spun. Her legs felt weak.

_Unhh… Boxing, Karate and Jeet Kune Do? He didn't use any Hokuto Shin Ken techniques…_

As she managed to sit up, Jaune skipped lightly on his feet and rolled his neck, before gesturing at her to come on.

"You… why aren't you using it? Why aren't you using Hokuto Shin Ken?" Lily asked.

"I figured I don't need it against you."

Lily's anger began to gather, but it was blown apart by what she felt next.

Jaune was summoning forth his own Aura.

As he did so, he spoke.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to hold back. You wanted to see it, didn't you? My power. Well, you're about to."

An awed silence descended upon the arena as an eerie power permeated every inch of the air. White flames began to burn on Jaune's body, and his leather vest was ripped off as his muscles visibly grew, tightening, the fibres bunching powerfully. Even as this happened, he remained proportional, and his body never spiralled out of control.

Instead of becoming monstrous, he resembled a god out of the old tales, his form possessing clear and immeasurable power. A power that burned all around him, clothing him in his flaming Aura.

_**Dragon's Breathing:**_ _**A breathing technique necessary to unlock the true potential of the human body. While using it, one's Aura is utilized to the fullest. All physical attributes are enhanced safely without damaging the body.**_

"I won't use any of Hokuto Shin Ken's fatal techniques against you. I'll only use its power to face you on equal terms. Bring it on. It's time to end this once and for all, before you hurt yourself."

In Jaune's eyes, Lily saw no killing intent at all.

So why… why then did they shine with so much determination?

_I won't be pitied… not by you of all people!_****

"Jaaaauuuuune!"

She rushed forward, abandoning all defence in favour of one final attack.

Jaune likewise rushed forward to meet her, dropping his guard and committing to one move to end the fight.

As they closed in, Lily unleashed the final trump card she had been holding back.

A desperation weapon she had never used in actual battle before.

"Come on, it's not over! I got something special for ya! Get some sunburn!"

_**Semblance #4: Supernova**_

_**While this Semblance is actually telekinesis, Lily only uses it to affect matter at a subatomic level, creating a faux nuclear fusion reaction to release an enormous amount of energy.**_

Holding power akin to a miniature sun in her fist, Lily crouched, winding up, before using the full force of her legs to rise vertically, jumping as she straightened her torso, even as she twisted during the movement.

As she unfurled towards Jaune in a spinning dragon uppercut, he pushed with his legs, sliding to the side, even as he leaned his torso to the side, barely avoiding the uppercut. Lily's momentum carried her past him, and he completed the turn, pivoting on his front foot so that he was now behind her.

Before she was carried further away, he locked his arms around her waist.

Far too late, Lily realized what was coming, and tried to break his grip, but it was pointless. It was beyond iron.

Jaune lowered himself, before pushing with his legs, launching himself vertically into the air, carrying Lily.

The force of his jump had been so great, the two of them had shattered the barrier' going right through its ceiling.

To the spectators, they looked as if they were ascending to the heavens.

Yet, as they reached the apex of the ascent, Jaune pulled backwards, until his head, and Lily's, were pointing downwards.

As they began to descend, Jaune started to spin, increasing the force of the coming slam.

Lily saw the ground rushing to meet her at a frightening pace, and closed her eyes.

It was over.

In the few moments she had left, her entire life flashed in her mind.

_I tried everything._

_I'm sorry, brother._

_I failed you._

She braced herself for an impact that would shatter her Aura.

But it never came.

When she opened her eyes, she was looking up at Jaune, who was holding her securely in his arms, the both of them back on the ground.

Her eyes widened as she realized what had happened.

Jaune had never intended to hit her with the spinning piledriver at all.

He smiled at her.

For a moment, it reminded her of the taunting grins they used to exchange so often when they were children.

"Got you good, didn't I? You nearly fainted."

Cheeks burning with shame, she turned away, until Jaune gently brushed away a lock of her hair.

His voice when he spoke was warm.

"Did you really think I was going to piledrive you?"

She turned to look at him once more.

And now, she noticed it was not one of those mocking smiles from back then that he wore.

A single tear rolled from one eye first.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

More tears fell, and finally, the facade of the invincible Jaune broke, and at long last, four years since their parting, Lily was reunited with the brother she remembered.

He had changed so much… yet not at all.

_That's right… we were always close, weren't we?_

His face scrunched up, Jaune's voice broke.

"Why didn't you tell me about this? About you? How long have you been suffering like this? Lily…"

And finally, the girl who had had to be strong ever since she left home; the one who had forced herself to endure and fight, no matter what was put in her path; finally, her dam broke.

Lily felt the tears stinging her eyes as her cool, confident, sarcastic mask finally came off.

"I'm sorry, brother. I tried everything. You have to understand… more than anything, I wanted you to happy. If I could do just that… make you happy, no price was too big…"

"Lily? What are you talking about?" asked Jaune, scared by the tone of her voice, by the words she spoke.

"It's too late," she replied, covering her face with her hands. "I couldn't save you…"

"Save me from what? What's going on, Lily?"

His twin sister looked him right in the eye.

"When you were training, didn't your Master speak of an ultimate secret that you would only be able to master yourself?"

Jaune's eyes widened.

Kenshiro had indeed spoken of such a thing.

"I know the secret, Jaune. It's power. Godlike power. But for you to gain it, you must lose everything that makes life worth living for you. The secret to Hokuto Shin Ken is sorrow."

"How do you know this?" asked Jaune, his mind racing.

"The Relic of Knowledge," replied Lily. "I used it by accident when I was retrieving it. It showed me two alternate futures. In one of them, you lose everything, and gain the ultimate power of Hokuto Shin Ken."

"And in the other?" Jaune asked, dreading the answer.

Lily's voice trembled, barely above a whisper.

"You were happy. You had everyone with you. The friends you've made here… and me. I wanted that future for you, Jaune. But I knew you'd never give up the duty of the Successor. As long as the fate of the Shinken hovered over you… you could never have it. So I tried to free you. But you were too strong. I failed you, brother. I'm sorry."

After all these years, Jaune felt like he finally understood Lily a little.

He pulled her closer, into an embrace, saying nothing, trying to silently comfort her.

**Cinder's POV:  
**_Damn it. Damn it all!_

The plan had failed.

It hadn't been some kind of bloodbath.

There was no fear and disgust from the people watching.

Only admiration and respect.

Not only had they not lost their senses, they had had an honourable duel, a fight that had done the exact opposite of what Cinder wanted… it had filled everyone with _positive _emotions.

_It's over. It's all over. I failed. Mercury and Emerald died for nothing. And when I get back, _she's _going to kill me. Everything I worked for has ended._

It wouldn't even be possible to go after the Maiden while everyone was distracted by the Tournament, since she hadn't even determined where she was located.

It was truly all over.

If only she had known how ironic the situation was.

As her own negative emotions flooded her, her mental signature, several times enhanced because of the Fall Maiden's power in her, was broadcast from the school, summoning forth the horror that Salem had reawakened just for this.

From the sky it descended, the shadows of its wings covering the _entire town._

The first, and most powerful of the Grimm had arrived.

_**Anarth: Lord of the Elder Dragons.**_****

_**Power rating: Planetary Calamity.**_

And with the dragon's arrival, Vale began to spiral into chaos.

It was ironic.

Cinder had failed in the part of the mission she cared about most: obtaining the rest of the Fall Maiden's power. But she had succeeded in bringing forth the creature that would announce to humanity that Salem was ready for war.

Down below, everyone panicked.

Ozpin had recognized the creature immediately, and issued evacuation orders. But it was pointless. In the face of the absolute fear Anarth commanded, human nature was to run, and not look back. The people were devolving into an uncontrollable, seething mass of negative emotions, a mob that would destroy itself as everyone fought to get away first.

To Jaune, the scene ignited the memory he desperately kept buried.

His failure to protect a village right after he had become Successor.

On his own, he hadn't been able to save those people.

It haunted him still.

And now, it was happening again.

Was this the tragedy that Lily had seen in her vision? Would he fail here too, and lose everyone he cared about?

Cardin. Ruby. Yang. Blake. Pyrrha. Nora. Ren. Williams. Even Goodwitch, Port and Oobleck.

And the sister he had finally reunited with, after all this time.

And the girl he truly cared about… _Weiss_.

He couldn't let that happen.

Not here.

He couldn't fail them. No matter what, he would protect them.

But without Hokuto Shin Ken's ultimate secret… could he take on a foe like an Elder Dragon?

And… was he truly ready to gain a secret like that?

One that needed true sorrow to unlock?

Jaune closed his eyes, and felt his senses travel far from the world.

He drifted, in the dark. Unable to find an answer.

Until he heard a familiar voice. One he hadn't heard in a year.

"_Hmph. Still so hesitant."_

Jaune was ecstatic. Standing right in front of him… was _Kenshiro._

"Master!" he shouted in joy, running up to him, only to receive a chop to the head.

"Oww! What was that for?"

"_What do you think you're playing at? Falling into doubts left, right and centre. I thought I raised you to have some faith in yourself. Instead, you go around flailing like a child with a wooden stick."_

Kenshiro paused. His annoyed expression vanished, and he smiled slightly.

"_Still. I am glad. You've definitely grown since we parted. Yes, I know for sure now that I made the right choice in training you."_

"Master," said Jaune, feeling guilty. "About that. I… I don't think I am worthy of being the Successor. I realize now. After coming to Beacon. I… I enjoy living. I think life is beautiful. It's a gift. Being able to walk, and laugh, and smile with people one cares about. I can't take that away from others. I'm not as strong as you. I can't always kill when I need to do."

Kenshiro's smile became warmer.

"_I know." _

Jaune did a double take.

"What?"

"_Did you think I didn't know all this when I was training you? Or do you think I was so poor a judge of character as to not know my own pupil?" _

Jaune stared at him, wide eyed.

"_You don't have to be like me, Jaune. You don't have to be like anyone else. Be yourself. The Successor chooses what he does with Hokuto Shin Ken. Not the ones who came before him. You must choose how you live, Jaune. No one else. And don't ever let anyone tell you different."_

Kenshiro began to fade away.

Realizing he didn't have long, Jaune shouted desperately.

"Master! For everything you've given me… for everything you've done… thank you."

"_Thank _you_, Jaune."_

Kenshiro's spirit passed on, disappearing from view as it ascended once more to the Heavens.

Jaune's eyes opened, and he found himself once more back in Remnant, Lily in his arms.

From above, Anarth's roars echoed, but Jaune no longer seemed scared.

"Brother?"

To Lily, he seemed different somehow. She didn't know what exactly had changed. But _something _had.

"Sorrow, huh? Yeah, that just isn't my thing. If this ultimate secret needs me to lose all the people I love… then I don't need it. I don't mind being weak. As long as I'm strong enough to protect the ones I care about, I don't need to be any stronger. And if I have to be stronger to do that… _then I will be._"

Gently, he brushed Lily's hair away. She was at a loss for words.

"You suffered a lot, didn't you? After I went away. It won't happen again."

And then, a miracle happened.

Lily's battered organs began to heal.

Something was flowing from Jaune into her. An energy unlike anything she had felt before. She felt her body changing, as the very anomaly that plagued her DNA was _written out of it,_ giving her a body that was healthy, and untouched by disease.

She stared at Jaune, mouth wide open, tears falling from her eyes.

By now, all of RWBY and the rest of JNPR had come out on to the arena, along with CRDL. Ozpin was here as well, along with most of the staff and students.

"Can you stand?" Jaune asked Lily.

She nodded.

He lowered her, and she lightly dropped to the ground, regaining her feet.

Jaune looked around at them all, smiling.

_**OST: Gray- Sajou no Hana**_

"From here on, I won't lose any of you. I promise."

Power flowed from him. But it wasn't the same white flame as before. This was a flame of many colours. It wasn't a single Aura, but countless others. And its strength… had no limit.

Jaune glowed, incandescent, shining like a Sun.

Every single jaw around him dropped.

Above, in the darkened sky, the light of the seven stars of the Big Dipper cut through the gathering clouds.

Jaune levitated into the air, rising higher and higher, until he was level with the infamous dragon that had destroyed the moon.

The beast roared aloud, all-consuming hatred etched into each line of his face.

Yet, when Jaune looked at him, all he felt was sorrow.

Far above, in the Heavens, three Brothers of Hokuto watched.

"I see. Because he genuinely treasures life, he can empathize with others, and feel their sorrow. He never needed to lose anyone… because he treasures them far too much", said Toki, the Healer.

"And he has the strength to protect them. With the power this boy possesses, even Musou Tensei may not be necessary…" said Raoh, the Conqueror.

"Hmph. He's my pupil after all," said Kenshiro, the Saviour.

On Remnant, Jaune spoke, looking at the dragon.

"You were human once too, weren't you? And you've been suffering all this time. I can't change you back. But I can end your suffering."

Jaune didn't want to take lives.

But that didn't mean I wasn't ready to take them when he had to.

He raised one palm towards the Grimm, summoning forth a power he had never tried to reach for before.

A power not from Hokuto Shin Ken, but from the very blood that he hated.

But his love for his sister had overcome that hatred, and allowed him to accept that blood as part of him.

Thus, he now called forth his power as an Arc.

_**Jaune Arc- Semblance**_

_**Will of the Aura King:**_ _**The ability to control the Auras of all living beings with one's will, without needing to stimulate their bodies with the 708 pressure points. The power over Aura can be used to heal even diseases… or grant someone a painless death.**_

He directed that power towards Anarth now, numbing the Dragon's senses, even as he used his own Aura to trigger an explosion from within his body, disintegrating the massive Grimm completely.

With his life ended, so did his curse, and as the Elder Grimm moved on from this world, Jaune thought he felt a message of gratitude.

The clouds began to dissipate, and the sun shone through once more, as Jaune descended, towards the people all waiting for him.

He saw them all, especially the sister he had almost lost, and the icy princess who had been his unwavering companion all this time.

This was his family, and the Godfist had finally arrived at Remnant. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's note: I could have dragged Season 2 on for the normal 13 chapters. But… there's no point in outstaying one's welcome. The time was just right. Jaune's Arc was complete (pun intended). A boy ascends to manhood, and a new family comes together. It honestly went better than I could ever have imagined. And it couldn't have happened without you. With that in mind, there's one more thing I need to do here, and that's bring this story to a proper close.**

**I'm not going to be marking this fic as complete. Honestly, there's a chance that I might do a Season 3, focusing on the confrontation with Salem. But such an arc has to be so epic, it can't be shortchanged or half-assed. So I won't make any promises I can't keep. Maybe you'll see the Godfist return, like his Master did… or maybe you won't. Either way, this was an honour and privilege.**

**Until such a day comes, however, this is the final chapter of The Godfist of Remnant. Thank you for all your support, and my best wishes to all of you in whatever it is you're all doing in life. Until we meet again, this is smilingsamurai.**

**Season 2 Chapter 10: The Life in Your Years.**

Vale was… peaceful. It seems like too short a description, but it was apt. For a kingdom in a world constantly under threat from monsters looking to consume humanity, peace was hard to come by. Remnant hadn't had peace since, well, it had become Remnant.

That had started to change with the coming of the Three Brothers of Hokuto.

Raoh's iron fist had been a stark reminder that death made no distinction between humans and Faunus. The two peoples had come together, united by their fear of him. In doing so, they had found shelter and healing from Toki, who showed that likewise, love and kindness need not discriminate between races. And then, there had been Kenshiro, the tireless guardian of the innocent, always fighting to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

These three had singlehandedly brought a semblance of order to the world, and Ozpin's council had capitalized on that to establish systems to protect humans and Faunus as best as they could.

Still, it had been a tenuous peace at best.

But now, after all these years, it was complete at last.

The boy who had inherited the legacy of the Three Brothers, as well as that of the Arc bloodline, had taken the work of his Master and his contemporaries… and brought it to the next level.

By obliterating an Ancient Grimm, he had shown the world that there was _always _hope.

There hadn't been a single casualty in Vale from the appearance of the dragon, which spoke volumes for how much impact he'd made.

Overnight, everything had changed.

Where everywhere had been caution and hardened hearts, there was now genuine hope that a better world could exist. The people had found at last a hero.

Kenshiro had done his work silently, never staying anywhere long. It had been necessary for his era. To be not the hero everyone could look up to, but the one who kept them alive.

Building on the work of his Master, Jaune could become that figure of hope. Instead of shutting his heart, he openly revealed himself. No longer would Hokuto Shin Ken exist only in the shadows. In this day and age, the strong needed to stand in the light, and proudly proclaim their faith in a better world, and fight for it in a way that would call others forth to join him.

Thus, Jaune's image was spread in all the kingdoms. All over the CCT Net, pictures and videos of him were circulating. The vast majority of them were from the match with Lily, and the subsequent defeat of the Elder Dragon. However, many were also from his time at Beacon, and even from before it, from people he had come across in his travels.

Overnight, he became a legend.

Thus, the morning following the climactic battle, a general mood of optimism pervaded the Dining Hall at Beacon. Students excitedly talked amongst themselves about what had happened, and about how it would affect their own lives going forward.

It wasn't any different at the table where RWBY and NPR sat together.

"So," said Yang, with some toast in her mouth. "How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" Weiss asked, likewise taking a bite of some toast.

"To date an actual god?" Yang said, grinning. "I mean, phew. Talk about whole different league. Is he even human anymore?"

Before Weiss could say anything, a familiar voice answered.

"100 percent born and bred, and I plan to keep it that way!"

All eyes lit up to see that Jaune had arrived. Lily was with him as well. It was a rare occasion: Jaune was dressed not in his leather travelling clothes, but casuals: a pair of three-quarter pants and a black t shirt on which was drawn an image of a rather handsome demon, below which was the name "Sparda". And for the first time, Lily wasn't in her armour either: likewise wearing a pair of shorts, and a dark blue tank top. Her hair was messier than usual… but it suited her. It was as if the strain of many years had disappeared. Her eyes shone, and she looked, to put it mildly, extraordinarily beautiful.

People started to cheer, and soon, everyone joined in.

Jaune grinned awkwardly.

"Ah, come on. You're making me uncomfortable now."

"You kidding?" shouted Cardin. "You're a frigging hero now, dude. This is the payoff! Take the damn admiration, already!"

"I don't want anyone's admiration though," Jaune said loudly.

His words had grabbed everyone's attention, bringing some silence.

He cleared his throat and continued.

"I have a good thing going here. Being one of you. I don't want to ruin it, you know? There's no need to make a big deal out of what I did. Lives were saved."

He smiled and raised his fist.

"Isn't that what Hunters do?"

He grinned and jumped up onto the bench next to him.

"There's a lot of problems if people start making a big deal out of me. You see… I've never had a normal life. There's a bunch of stuff I've never done. Go to a carnival… or a nightclub. Or heck, play a bunch more video games. And… hang out with real friends. Have a place where I can belong. I haven't had that stuff… until now."

"What about getting laid?" shouted Yang, earning a round of laughter. "Done that before?"

"It's on the list," Jaune replied smoothly, causing Weiss to go redder than an apple.

"Anyway," he continued. "The point is, nothing's changed. Except, a couple of Grimm are going to be moved from the 'unbeatable' section to the 'regular' section in the books."

His words brought forth a round of laughter and appreciative cheers.

"You're all right, Souther."

"Yeah, dude. Never change, man!"

"Not planning on it!" said Jaune. "Speaking of which: we're in the middle of a tournament, are we not? Who's feeling hyped for today?"

Massive cheers followed.

"What're you going to do with the prize money when you win?" shouted someone.

"Eh? It's not certain I'm going to win-" Jaune began, only for his voice to be drowned out by booing.

"False modesty ain't cool, man."

"Yeah. Badasses should be badass, 24x7."

Jaune raised his hands placatingly.

"All right, all right. The non-politically correct version then. I do think I have a good chance of winning. But here's the thing: consider this a little nugget of wisdom I'll give away for free. Not all battles are decided by strength. Sometimes, the results are unexpected."

"Is that your way of saying you're going to throw the match for your girlfriend?"

A chorus of booing followed, and Weiss glared at him, her expression promising pain if he even thought of doing something like that.

Jaune laughed loudly.

"Of course not! I can defeat Weiss all day, every day! I've got her moves downloaded. And here's the thing…"

He did an exaggerated fighting pose.

"I HAVE ALL THE COUNTERS!"

People cheered loudly.

Ruby leaned in closer to Weiss, who had a vein bulging on her temple.

"Uh… he's quite confident, isn't he?" she asked nervously.

"I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him."

She rose to her feet.

"That's it, Souther! No more nice girl! You're going down!"

Her confident words likewise drew loud applause, most people digging the fact that she wasn't backing down one bit from the most brokenly overpowered individual to set foot in Beacon. Also, they loved the idea of the couple becoming finalists and having a friendly match to determine the winner.

It was a far cry from how the tournament normally was: with all the schools competing desperately for victory, and each warrior willing to do anything at all to prove themselves superior to all others.

No, this was different from the Vytal Festivals that had come before.

It was more relaxed.

There was a kind of goodwill to the whole thing.

It wasn't victory or defeat that mattered here. Just the fact that everyone got to get together and have a good time.

In so many ways, this year's tournament was achieving the true goal of the Vytal Festival: bringing people together, and fostering unity among the kingdoms.

Behind Jaune, Lily smiled.

_You've done it. Become the man you always wanted to be. Changing the world is a lofty goal… but it starts with changing yourself… and boy did you succeed at that._

Speaking of which, there were some final things to be taken care of.

She leaned closer to her brother and spoke into his ear.

"That Cinder woman's still loose in Vale. Normally, I'd put her down, but… well, you've shown me that's not the only way. So we'll take this call together. What do we do?"

Jaune answered.

"Well, for starters, let's meet her. That's the first step either way, right?"

Lily nodded.

"There's one other thing," she said.

"What's that?"

"I gotta go see Ironwood. I've served for three years, and been on more missions than I can count. I think… I'm finally ready to come home, for good."

Jaune smiled.

"That'd be good. I wouldn't have to worry about you so much."

Lily laughed lightly, grinning at him.

"I don't know about that. Since you healed me, I've gotten a lot stronger."

_Fair point,_ Jaune thought. _Honestly, I'm not sure if I can beat her if we fight again._

_But then again… we won't fight again, except by each other's side. _

"Well, the sparring ring's always open", he said casually.

"When the time's right," said Lily. "For the moment, I've got to see about getting an honourable discharge, and catching up on a lifetime's worth of fun."

**Later that same day.**

Cinder Fall had hung around after Anarth's death. Not because she still intended to complete the mission, but because she was terrified to go back. Because she knew the moment she returned, she would have to face punishment from Salem.

Yet, she was also aware that staying was a risk.

Punishment from Jaune could be just as severe.

As she sat against the wall of the sealed off apartment she was hiding out in, she heard a voice from close by.

"There are better places to hide. But I suppose you're afraid to go into the wilds. With all that negativity, you'd be eaten before you could go far."

She raised her head to see a figure standing in the shadows, in that very room.

She caught a flash of gold hair, and blue eyes.

Immediately, she started to rise, but her movements were halted as he muscles abruptly froze her, holding in place like a statue.

"We're going to talk. And you're going to answer a few questions. That sound okay to you?"

He asked the last part to someone else, and a second figure also emerged from the darkness. This one too was blonde and blue eyed. But she was feminine.

"Yeah. It does."

Cinder stared at both of them in horror.

Jaune and Lily Arc… they had found her.

It was all over.

"That unusual power you have… it isn't yours, is it?" Lily asked. "Where did you get that?"

Cinder clenched her teeth, afraid of what would happen if she didn't answer, and unwilling to bend her pride enough to do so.

Noting her silence, Jaune decided to intervene.

"A lot of lives could have been lost because of you. Take responsibility and admit your actions."

When Cinder remained silent, Lily tried again.

"All right. I see how it is. Want to see a cool magic trick?" she asked Jaune.

"Sure."

Turning to Cinder, she spoke.

"Who do you serve?"

Cinder went pale.

If she lied, or remained silent, Salem might take it as an act of defiance.

Knowing she had been checkmated, she answered.

"Salem," she said simply.

Jaune's expression darkened.

"I see. I was holding back so far. Guess there's no reason to do so anymore."

Cinder scoffed. Now that she had been pushed this far, she wasn't about to roll over and die without resisting.

"You're too soft to torture anything out of me," she said, smirking.

Dead silence followed for a moment after her taunt, then Lily shook her head.

"You fucked up," she said quietly.

Jaune looked Cinder in the eye.

"It's true. I can't torture anyone. But I don't need to. I know enough now. Servant of Salem, so you're definitely an enemy who was involved in bringing a dragon here. And you're after the secret under Ozpin's tower. Time to find out what that secret is."

Jaune reached out with his senses, and felt the power within Cinder, noting it wasn't just Aura.

There was something else there.

Magic.

And, he could feel traces of someone else in that power. It yearned to return to them. This power… had been taken by force.

"I see," said Jaune. "Time to set it free then. You took this from someone. I'm giving it back to them."

Cinder's eyes widened. Had he found out about the Fall Maiden's power? But the only way to remove that from her was to kill her. Did that mean this was the end for her?

Jaune spoke again.

"You have two choices. You can continue to live, but never hurt anyone again. I can make sure of that. But it would change what you are. If such a life is unacceptable to you… then I also offer death."

The false Maiden had no words to reply.

Jaune was not cruel, but he wasn't compromising either. In so many ways, he was merciful, but unyielding.

There would be manipulating her way out of this.

And she could not accept a life of weakness.

"You'll have to kill me," she said.

Jaune closed his eyes and nodded.

"I see."

Moving forward, he tapped her temple lightly with his index and middle fingers.

He turned around and started to leave.

Cinder, who felt nothing, raised her eyebrows.

"Is this supposed to be a joke? Are you going to hand me over to Ozpin? Because I'd rather die-"

Jaune turned to look at her.

In that instant, she saw no joy in his eyes. No sadistic pleasure at her expense.

Only sorrow.

"Omae wa… mou shindeiru."

_You are already dead._

"What?!"

Cinder's eyes widened, and she felt a gentle drowsiness start to overtake her.

As she started to fade, she looked at Jaune.

_I see. You made it painless._

_If only… I had met someone like you earlier. Then maybe… things could have been different. _

Her life drifted away, and her soul left her body, which collapsed, until Jaune caught it.

Lily stared at him.

"What technique was that?"

"It's from the Fist of Gentleness. Not sure how I learnt it. It came to me suddenly. Somehow, I already knew it."

The Successor acknowledged by all three of the Brothers had received their gifts.

A flame started to gather around Cinder's body, growing, until it broke through the window, and flew away… to return towards its acknowledged partner, Amber.

The Arc siblings had done their work here.

**Ironwood's room, Beacon Academy**

"Request for an honourable discharge?"

He read out from the letter he had been given, and raised his eyebrows.

"What is this?"

"Exactly what it says," replied Lily.

"What is this all of a sudden? Weren't you a mad dog of war?"

"Not anymore. I have things to live for now. So I'm taking it back. My life."

"And what if I refuse permission?"

"I wasn't asking."

Ironwood leaned back. As ever, Lily could be hard to deal with when she wanted.

Still, he had no reason to hold her back anymore. She had served more active hours than anyone else during a three year period, and no one could question her contributions. Even more so considering the condition in which she had performed those duties.

Now that she was healed, perhaps it was time for her to live.

Besides, she had a point.

He wasn't capable of forcing her to stay.

"Penny's going to miss you," he said.

"She's _always_ free to visit, and I intend to keep dropping by to see her."

Her words brought a smile onto Ironwood's face.

"Then I suppose that will be all. Farewell, Berserker."

"Goodbye, General."

And so, time drew nearer to the finals of the Vytal Festival.

As expected, Jaune was one of the two who would be fighting.

Unexpectedly, for a tournament that had the likes of Pyrrha Nikos, Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose, the other finalist was Weiss. 

Before the match, she was approached by her teammates.

"You sure about this?"

Weiss had had many difficult matches to get this far, in contrast to Jaune, who had breezed through all of his own.

She nodded.

"I can do this."

They were worried her optimism would take a shock, but were also happy their friend wasn't giving up.

Finally, with the calls of the announcer, the two stood in the arena, facing each other.

"No hard feelings, Weiss. But I'm not going to lose today."

"Hmm."

Weiss nodded.

"Did you know, I've been working on my Semblance? Specifically, Summoning."

"I see. Did you master it?"

"I did. You would not believe what I am able to Summon. But you're about to see."

For Weiss, whose Semblance allowed her to call forth constructs of powerful foes she had faced, there shouldn't be anything she could bring that would be a threat to Jaune.

However, that wasn't the only way her power worked.

Having come to Beacon, she had been humbled. She had learned. She had fought. She had changed. In all this time, she had forged bonds with people. And… she had come to trust someone. That someone had become a figure of undying hope in her, the one rock she could always count on.

With her strong emotions and bonds with that person, the being she Summoned was…

_A spectral, blue-white figure… Jaune Souther._

The spectral Jaune examined one of his own arms, curling and uncurling his fingers.

There was not a jaw that had not dropped, apart from Weiss' own.

The Huntress smiled.

"You _are _unbeatable, right? I should inform you, this Summons _perfectly_ matches all your abilities. In a strange way, it _is_ you. And you know, you're a lot stronger when you fight _by_ me, not against me."

Jaune, who had still not managed to collect his jaw off the floor, could only stare.

Far above, Raoh shook his head.

"This welp… as expected, he still has much to learn."

Toki laughed.

"Well, he has time."

Kenshiro nodded.

"This will be a good experience for him. Besides. Isn't that where he wants to be? Right by her side."

Down below, the fight began.

A full fifteen minutes later, both Jaunes were still standing, but it was the real one who was breathing slightly harder.

The Summon had taken damage too, parts of him cracked, but it was clear the battle had been demanding for both of them.

Jaune looked at his perfect copy. Well, almost perfect.

_He's my match when it comes to physical ability. He's also close to my level in fighting skill, at least in terms of base techniques. Weiss wasn't kidding. He's very close to being the real deal. But close isn't enough._

Searching within himself, he found the power of yet another of the Three Brothers.

Taking a stance unfamiliar to his friends, with both hands raised in front of him, he spoke.

"If you come at me with strength… I'll crush you with even greater strength."

_**Heaven's Command Charge: A technique that fires a devastating beam of energy towards the opponent.**_

As the beam collided with its target, the Summoned Jaune was wiped out. However, this was all according to Weiss' plan.

In his tired state, Jaune's use of the Tensho Honretsu meant he needed at least a second to recover.

Weiss knew this, and had been circling around, since Jaune's attention was focused entirely on the Summon, and not on her.

Thus, by the time he was destroyed, she was behind him.

Using her Glyphs, she summoned walls of ice that surrounded him on three sides, cornering him against Weiss.

Jaune turned to face her.

"That's not going to help."

"What about this, then?"

Yet another Summon came forth.

And this time, it was…

"Me?" said Ruby from the stands, awestruck.

"What the…"

Jaune was taken by surprise, but managed to block the high speed scythe blow from the Ruby Summon, which also seemed capable of using an imitation of her Semblance.

"Two can play at this game!"

He struck out with a short arm uppercut, lightning flashing around his fist.

"_Doriya!"_

As the Electric Wind God Fist struck, the Ruby Summon's form was blown apart… only to reform into another figure.

The trademark click of shotgun gauntlets was heard, as the Yang Summon fired at Jaune.

In his shock, he was unable to react and block, and the shots landed.

A gasp of awe went up from the audience. Jaune's Aura had finally taken a hit.

Jaune glared, and thrust a single finger forward, destroying the Yang Summon by piercing her throat.

Only this time, it formed… _two _Blakes.

_Tchh! The Clone Semblance!_

The two cat Faunuses attacked at the same time, coming in with a series of punches and kicks.

While Jaune blocked the first few, very soon, the strain of fighting two people without being able to move around and maintain spacing soon got to him, and he took several hits.

Glaring, he raised both arms up, before bringing them down in a violent clawing motion.

_**Raging Storm!**_

A powerful surge of Ki exploded clawed the air all around him, demolishing the ice walls, and the Blake Summons.

However, Jaune had taken damage, while Weiss hadn't.

"Lot of cheap tricks today, princess," he said, grinning tightly.

"Hey, you don't see me complaining about your magic martial arts."

Jaune glared.

_Tch…. I've restricted my power output for this fight… but it's not like I'm holding back! This isn't good. I have plenty of plenty of Aura left, but the fight ends once I take a certain amount of damage. Gotta finish her off before that happens._

"All right. Time to end this."

Jaune held his hands out to the side, as he concentrated his Aura to them, sharpening it… until them became keener than razors.

"Yeah, this should do."

He experimentally swung his right arm.

Nothing happened at first, then, the very arena floor they were standing on was cut in half.

_**Nanto Ho Oh Ken: Completed form. In this state, the wielder's Ki becomes so sharp, that ordinary attacks are converted to slashes capable of cutting through stone and metal.**_

He dashed right at Weiss.

However, she had seen it coming.

For Jaune, who was straightforward and honourable, there was no reason to use feints or tricks in a one-on-one fight. While he was at his best when fighting head-on, it also meant he could be predictable to someone who knew him.

Even so. Even if one saw the attack coming, there wasn't a blade on Remnant capable of blocking the invincible slash of the Nanto Emperor, used by the one who had taken the name of its legendary user, Souther.

However, Weiss had no intention of blocking or dodging it.

Instead, she called forth her final Summon… a spectral projection of herself.

Jaune's eyes widened.

_What is she trying to do? Her direct combat abilities aren't as strong as Yang's or Pyrrha's. Why Summon herself at this point?_

As he approached, the Weiss Summon rushed forward to meet him, surprising him.

Just as he prepared to cut her down, his mild surprise changed to absolute shock as she spread her arms wide, as if inviting his embrace.

_What the…_

In his shock, Jaune could do nothing as the spectral Weiss wrapped her arms around him, and brought her lips closer to his face.

A furious blush spread on his face.

_What's going o-_

With her lips right by his ear, the Summon whispered.

"Your guard is down."

So saying, the figure exploded in a flash of electricity, frying away the rest of Jaune's allotted Aura for the fight.

He stared, unable to find any words, as he let himself fall to one knee.

Far above, in the Heavens, all three of the Hokuto Brothers nodded in commiseration.

"The Yuria effect, huh?"

"It appears so."

"Well, one can't always win. Also, congratulations."

Down on Remnant, the announcer's voice rang out.

"_**And it's all over! This year's Vytal Festival Champion: Weiss Schnee! It appears even a Godfist can be defeated! Congratulations to both warriors on an amazing fight."**_****

  
Jaune shook his head, still unable to believe what had just happened.

He looked up at Weiss as she approached, grinning smugly.

"That was a dirty win, and you know it!" he said, before she could even open her mouth.

"Aww… he's offended everyone doesn't rush right in. Weren't you the one who said we needed to think clearly and use our opponent's weaknesses against them?"

"That-"

Weiss leaned in closer to him, bending over till their faces were almost level.

"You weren't actually expecting a kiss in the middle of a match were you?"

Jaune's eyes went wide and his face burned.

_Please just let me kill myself and end the shame._

"Enough. If you'll excuse me, I must go commit seppuku."

Weiss laughed and teasingly reached out a hand to cup his cheek.

"That's a shame. Because you only needed to wait a little longer."

Before Jaune could say anything, she closed the remaining distance between them, and kissed him, her lips pressing his just long enough to taste her, but short enough that he was left wanting more.

"And also because there's plenty more where that came from. After all, we have the entire rest of our lives to go. That's a lot of time together."

Jaune's heart leapt in his chest. A wild hope bloomed in him. He wasn't sure, but if she was suggesting what he thought she was…

"What do you mean?"

"_I love you, Jaune Souther._ I needed the money… because I won't depend on my father anymore. After we graduate, we'll live together. You and I."


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's note: The following is meant as a trailer/teaser for season 3. I'm not sure if I'll write it, so no promises. Right now, I guess I just want to find out what everyone thinks?**

Lightning split the sky, raining down upon the ground below. The crashing bolts of electricity cleaved the earth, which was already shaking, the very tectonic plates of the continent colliding under the influence of the conflict that unfolded.

"Look out! It's one big shitstorm!" shouted Yang.

Her statement could not have come at a more opportune moment.

A massive thunderbolt struck the ground, mere metres away from where team RWBY stood, charring the place it had landed.

The air thrummed, not just because of the charge in the earth and its atmosphere, but because of the bio-electricity that surged through it, filling it with static.

As the tremors intensified, the ground came apart, and the members of RWBY struggled to stay on their feet, as did those of JNPR.

"This place can't stand this for long!" shouted Ren, his calm visage in turmoil.

His words had been directed to a certain former heiress, who looked up at the sky, not showing any signs of having heard him.

Instead, she shouted with all the power in her lungs.

"Jaune, stop it! Everything is coming apart! You have to end it, now!"

In the air, Jaune Souther did not reply. His entire focus was on the opponent in front of him.

The woman was in a stance that was a twisted reflection of his own. If Jaune was the cool, calm dragon… then she was the embodiment of rage, the demon.

Though he showed no outward sign of it, he was close to his limit now.

The woman, skin pale as snow, stared at him with her jet black eyes.

"What's the matter? This can't be all you have, can it? Surely Hokuto Shin Ken has more to offer!"

"Don't underestimate the Divine Fist!" replied Jaune.

It had finally come to this. There was no holding back. He would have to obliterate her with one final attack using all his power.

A moment more the two eyed each other, before they both charged forward simultaneously. The force of their sudden movements blasted shockwaves through the air.

As he came into range, Jaune shot his fist forward, aiming to begin the final sequence of attacks.

A combination of various pressure points, along with strategic moves that attacked the target from the outside, this sequence would utterly demolish any opponent's body.

Except, it never landed.

Somehow, each of Jaune's blows met only air, though the speed, timing and placement of each strike was perfect, along with their aim.

It was as if her body was intangible.

For each strike Jaune could not connect with, she struck with one of her own, progressively destroying the young warrior's Aura, until it was depleted entirely.

She smiled slightly, about to initiate a killing technique of her own.

"_**Shin Shun Goku Satsu."  
**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Season 3 Chapter 1: An Emergent Shadow/ The Godfist's Responsibility**

_You. Yes, you._

_You're evil, aren't you?_

_Don't deny it._

_You created a method. Evolved and refined it through 1800 years of experimentation. Until it was the most perfect way of taking lives. Think about it: you spent 1800 years learning how to take away a divine gift from living creatures. 1800 years perfecting the way to put a living being to a cruel, torturous end. You wrote the book on causing pain. The pain of physical agony. The pain of being ripped out of this world. And the pain of the ones who remain._

_Every orphan left behind. Every widow. Every weeping father and mother._

_They are your responsibility._

_Write it proudly on your skin, o Godfist._

_Glorious ender of lives. Bearer of the death touch. The Reaper manifest._

_This is your legacy._

_From now until Armageddon come, a mountain of corpses, a sea of blood, and a red sky, scorched for eternity, blackened with your sins._

Jaune Souther sat bolt upright in bed, breathing hard, breathing fast. Sweat poured down his face.

"What the hell was that…"

A dream. Very rarely did the Successor of the Divine Fist of the North Star dream at night. As a result of his intense physical training regimen and rigorous conditioning, he had the ability to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep whenever he wished to rest. This was crucial, since it was a state that accelerated his body's ability to recover naturally, enabling him to repair even muscles that had been pushed beyond their breaking point to the absolute limit, within a few hours. Essentially, this allowed him to perform intense full-body workouts every day, vast increasing the rate at which he could increase his strength and muscle mass. In addition to its training benefits, this ability to rest was also crucial to functioning properly as an Assassin. In a life where death could come at any moment, being able to rest one's mind and nervous system in order to be fresh could make the difference between living and dying.

Thus, dreams were _extremely_ rare for Jaune Souther.

Even after Kenshiro's death and his failure to save the village, he had been able to sleep peacefully, if only due to the way he had programmed his body. There had been one or two exceptions, but almost never did he see anything in his slumber. And on this occasion, he had. That could mean only one thing.

_That wasn't an ordinary dream_, Jaune concluded.

He was able to recall it perfectly. Playing it back once more in his mind, he focused on the voice of the speaker.

It was not a voice he had ever heard before, which was strange. Dreams were supposed to be constructed with information the brain had obtained. In other words, out of memories. But this voice was nowhere to be found anywhere in his past. He could say this with absolute certainty, since the mind training techniques of Hokuto Shin Ken also taught him how to be able to access any and all past memories with crystal clarity.

_It was a woman's voice_.

And a voice unlike any he had heard.

It had been calm. Serene. Musical, even.

Somehow, despite all logic, Jaune found that voice _beautiful_.

Felt that it caressed him gently. Soothing him. Relaxing him. Bringing him a sugary sweet sensation of ecstacy… even as it told him that he was a monster.

And every word had been accompanied by an image.

Every image was one from his past. Scenes from his life. Of him using Hokuto Shin Ken to end the lives of criminals, murderers, rapists.

He had done that. He had put these humans to death, because his heart had told him it was the right thing to do.

_Was this voice trying to guilt-trip me?_

It was a futile endeavour.

Jaune knew he wasn't innocent.

He never pretended to judge anyone from on high.

The iron rule of Hokuto Shin Ken:

_**The Successor who considers himself a god is unworthy of his power, and shall be struck down from on high by the anger of the God of War.**_

_**The Successor is human, and his heart is moved by love. The choice to grant death is made with the acknowledgement that death is granted in return.**_****

Jaune knew this.

He knew that he was not a notch above the people he had killed.

_I am human. I have killed, and will one day pay for my sins. That is the responsibility of the Godfist._

In ending the lives of others, he had been guided by his heart, which had told him that the actions of those individuals could not be accepted. That if they were left unchecked, they would cause yet more pain and death to countless others.

This was the source of Hokuto Shin Ken's invincible strength. Not the iron body of its practitioner. Not the impenetrable techniques of its movements. But the fact that the Successor could relate to humanity as a whole. Knowing that one day, he would lose his life for taking the lives of others, and accepting that, gave the Successor his enormous power.

And yet, despite how Jaune reminded himself of that… a tiny sliver of doubt found its way into his heart.

Yes, everyone he had killed was an incorrigible monster who would likely never change.

_But what if they could have?_

_Those people had families too._

_People who loved them. Waited for them to return. _

_I took that chance away from them. _

He shook his head.

It was unlikely. And even if it was possible, he had to think of the victims. Of the millions who had been hurt. Who had been killed. He owed it to them, and their survivors, to cleanse the world, and make it safe to live in.

_Bearing the sins of the world, huh? _

He scoffed.

He was no Toki, and he knew it.

No saviour.

Just an ordinary boy who had been blessed to grow up in the shadow of giants.

Troubled, he knew he would find no further sleep that night. His breathing was shallow. He was disturbed. He could restore his calm through breathing exercises, but he didn't feel like doing so. For whatever reason, he wanted to stay awake.

He looked down at the figure lying in bed next to him.

_Weiss._

Asleep, she looked so small.

So delicate.

Like a sculpture of ice, that could be shattered at the lightest touch.

He shook his head firmly.

_No. Even if it kills me. Even if I must return from death. No harm will come to you. This I swear. _

Leaning down, he kissed her forehead gently.

_Thank you._

Weiss did not know. And if Jaune had his way, she never would. She would never know that she was his one of his anchors, holding him back from losing himself.

Despite all his training, he was just a seventeen year old boy who had been trusted with the power to end lives as he saw fit. It was taking its toll on him. And Weiss was keeping him sane.

He lay back down on the bed, wrapping his arms around her, and feeling, to his pleasure, her nuzzling closer to him, rubbing her face against his chest, even as she unconsciously grinded her hips against him, ending up causing a certain part of hers to squeeze against a certain part of his.

That was another thing.

Since the finals of the Vytal Festival, Jaune and Weiss had always slept together. And they had experimented plenty… but always within certain limits. They had both reasoned that there was no need to rush things, and had agreed that things would change once both of them had crossed the age of eighteen.

Jaune looked at her face as she slept. At her smooth, reddish lips, irresistibly alluring.

It wasn't an easy promise to keep. But keep it he would .

"Well, it's never too early to train," he said.

Getting out of bed, he stretched slightly, feeling the stiffness leaved his lower back and shoulders.

_Come to think of it, I've been at Beacon for a while._

_I obtained what I came here for. Information on the origins of the Grimm. They were originally humans, and were transformed into what they are now by Salem._

Now that he had learnt that much, wasn't it time he started travelling again? He couldn't just stay here forever.

Yet, Beacon had, in a strange way, become his home.

He cared about the people he knew here.

Teams JNPR and RWBY. Team CRDL. Team CFVY, whom he was just starting to get to know. The teachers. And even Ozpin.

_Well, I'll have to search for her eventually._

_Salem._

_That voice I heard in my dream. That must have been her. _

_I could set out. Look for information, then come back here._

_It'd take a few trips, but I'd eventually know where to look for her. I don't have to leave Beacon behind to do it. _

Jaune put on a t shirt and changed into a pair of briefs and shorts to go out and do some mobility exercises and technique drills. Instead of going out the hallway, he opened the JNPR dorm's window, and jumped down to the lawn below.

Dawn was still an hour or so away, and the air was nice and cool outside. A pleasant breeze was blowing. Jaune leaned his head back and allowed it to wash over him.

Before he could start his training, however, he felt something rapidly approaching.

He immediately leaned his torso back, going into a partial arch to allow the incoming blow to pass over his head and chest harmlessly.

Straightening up, he turned around to see the one who had aimed the strike.

The figure was made entirely of nearly pitch-black organic matter, which Jaune immediately recognized as the substance Grimm were made of.

However, unlike most Grimm, this one did not have an animalistic appearance.

Instead, his shape was humanoid.

He stood over six feet tall, putting him level with Jaune. From the size of his frame, a powerful skeletal structure was evident, with thick bones. An immense musculature rippled, the black mass he was made of flexing and relaxing with every movement he made.

To top off his appearance was a face that was a somehow human, yet not so.

His features and their arrangements were indeed indeed, as was the shape of his head. However, there were differences between him and an ordinary human.

His teeth were sharper, his jaw stronger, and his eyes were an eerie shade of red.

"So you're the famed Godfist, eh? Well, it's evident you do your daily training. But that applies to me too.

And without your experience advantages, the playing field… is in my favour."

Jaune narrowed his eyes at the strange visitor.

"Who are you?"

"Uh uh. You don't get to ask that yet. Fists first. Words later."

Jaune glared at him.

"Works for me. You had your chance."

Jaune flared his Aura, deepening his breathing, increasing the amount of the energy flowing through his body, and thus, his physical abilities.

Even as he did so, he attempted to scan the Grimm's body by projecting his Aura. This was another of his abilities. By extending his Aura, he was able to gain a sort of sensory field that gave him information about whatever lay within it. He could use it to determine the anatomy and pressure points of an opponent within his range. But on this occasion…

"_You have no pressure points?"_  
Jaune muttered, incredulously.

It was true.

The being had a massive store of Aura, or Ki, but it was not flowing, as it would in a living creature, due to constantly moving within their body. In the case of this Grimm, it was almost entirely stationery. His body felt far denser too.

Jaune's eyes widened.

"You don't have any internal organs."

With a sudden burst of speed, he moved. To an ordinary human, he would have seemed to disappear from sight entirely for a moment, until he reappeared diagonally behind the mysterious humanoid Grimm.

No sooner did he do so than he struck out with a blow towards the Grimm's center of mass. If he could not destroy him by attacking his pressure points, he would simply have to crush him entirely with the Futae no Kiwami. An opponent of this level was too dangerous to allow to survive.

To his shock, his fist was caught.

_No matter. That's just the first blow. Try and block this._

Since the Grimm's palm had taken the first impact, if he delivered the second one while his molecules were still disturbed, he would be able to shatter his hand, if not his entire body.

As Jaune drove his body forward forward from the legs, he suddenly felt his progress halted, as the Grimm's grip on his fist tightened.

_Impossible! He stopped the movement of my entire body with arm and grip strength?_

Jaune clenched his teeth, pulling back. The Grimm released his grip, allowing the Godfist to step back and regain distance.

"Not bad," said the dark one. "But you do realize: techniques specialized in dealing with humans… are no use against me."

"Who that hell are you?" asked Jaune.

_He's ridiculously strong! That physical strength alone dwarfs mine! He might be twice, no… three times as strong as me. And his speed isn't the slightest bit inferior._

For the very first time in his life, Jaune was facing an opponent whom he had no idea how to defeat.

The strange Grimm smiled.

Incredibly, his face was almost handsome as he did so.

"My name is Behemoth. And I am Salem's vengeance. Her son." 


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's note: Been a while, huh?**

**Season 3 Chapter 2: Fist of the Grimm Lord**

"I am Salem's vengeance. Her son."

So said the one who had called himself Behemoth. The monstrous figure stood level with Jaune himself, his powerful frame composed of bone and rock-like muscle. Red eyes glowed, set in a head that seemed half human, half something else. In truth, despite his jet black body, he looked nothing like a Grimm. His form resembled the ancient demons portrayed in works of art.

"Her son? Don't lie. The child of a goddess cannot be Grimm," said Jaune.

"All livings beings are as children to the gods. And sometimes it is up to a son to avenge the injustices heaped on his mother."

"That was a long time ago," said Jaune. "Those humans are long dead. Either that… or turned into…"

"Us. The Grimm. Is that what you wanted to say? A fitting fate. We were taught humility, and loyalty. But the ones who survive, nay, even their descendants, they must learn the same lessons. You will all bow to your better."

Jaune shook his head. This Grimm, as intelligent as he seemed, could not be reasoned with.

"Salem should have learned her lesson. Life cannot be put through suffering to please one's ego."

"Enough talk, Godfist. I've heard a lot about the legendary Fist of the North Star, but so far, you've only disappointed. Come, prove me wrong, and show me that your truth surpasses mine… with your own hands."

"Is there no other way?" asked Jaune.

"It must end in blood."

"So be it then. From this point on, it's a fight."

Roaring out loud, Jaune flared his Aura, deepening each breath in the manner of dragons, channelling the true strength of his Aura and body.

Letting his arms hang loosely by his sides, he dashed forward towards the Grimm, cratering the ground with the force of his step.

Behemoth was strong and fast, and had good reflexes. Furthermore, his body was immune to the vast majority of Hokuto Shin Ken, having no internal organs, blood vessels, nerves or circulatory system. The best Jaune could tell, he was composed entirely of skeletal and muscular tissue, along with eyes. He did not have any visible ears or nose either.

In other words, many of Jaune's best weapons were of no use against him. He could not destroy his body the way he would a human's. He would have to break it down blow by blow, instead of with pressure point strikes, which meant… it would come down to a toe-to-toe slugfest.

Behemoth's fanged teeth bared themselves in a wide grin as Jaune dashed around, angling to come in from the side, and rushed at him.

As the blond Godfist struck out with a jab, the towering Grimm bobbed his head to the side, countering with a lead hand jab of his own.

_Boxing counter? _

Jaune's rear hand was up, and managed to stop the jab. He angled to the side slightly, and attacked with a right cross. To his surprise, it missed completely.

Behemoth had ducked.

Less than an instant later, pain exploded in Jaune's solar plexus, his Aura flashing as it strained to absorb what seemed like the force of a freight train.

_Ducked the cross, and countered with a body blow? Shit, his boxing isn't a joke!_

But Jaune was not the Successor for nothing. He had heart and grit, and remained standing, with his guard up. Grabbing the Grimm's head, he pulled him into a clinch.

"How about this?"

He followed up with knees to the ribs from both sides, smashing into Behemoth's ribs. After five hits, he proceeded to a knee strike to the Grimm's chin. It felt like trying to pound an anvil.

"Hahaha… haha… hah… hahaha…"

The low sound of chuckling was heard, then a fist of iron crashed into Jaune's liver. His Aura pulsed.

A second hit, to the ribs on the opposite side.

A third. A fourth. A fifth.

Each punch rocked Jaune to the core, weakening his clinch on the Grimm's head.

"More… More…. MORE!"

With a powerful upwards wrench, Behemoth pushed his head up, breaking out of Jaune's clinch. The move left the blond's hands outstretched, his body unguarded.

"Jackpot."

The Grimm unloaded with a gatling combo, hammering left and right alternate punches to the Jaune's body.

Around ten hits in, Jaune's Aura crumbled.

"YIIIIEEEEES!"

With a cry of elation, the Grimm raised his knee, executing a strike that would make any Nak Muay proud.

Jaune felt his jaw being nearly disconnected as the force of the hit launched him twenty feet back, until he landed on the ground, tumbling backwards roughly till he finally came to a stop.

Every inch of his body hurt, and he struggled to get to his feet.

_He's good… ridiculously good. It's not just the insane physical strength and toughness. He has legitimate fighting technique… each of those strikes was the real deal. This isn't good._

He raised his head to see Behemoth still standing twenty feet away, waiting patiently for him to get up.

"Guts… and honour… I never thought I'd see that from a Grimm…"

"You will show me more, Godfist. I am not satisfied yet."

"_Then how about you try this on for size?"_

They were interrupted by a third voice, belonging to a newcomer.

Taken by surprise, Behemoth was unable to dodge as a sword the size of a person was thrown at him.

The Dragonslayer Mark II smashed right into his mouth with pinpoint accuracy.

Factoring in the weight of the sword, around 200 kilograms, and the speed at which it had been travelling, the momentum would have reduced an ordinary human to a fine red mist.

Behemoth did not even have a broken jaw.

The throw had failed to even knock him off his feet.

Lily Arc stared at him, half in bewilderment, half in anger.

"What the…?"

The Grimm stood with his teeth firmly clamped down on the tip of the sword. At the last moment, he had stopped the blade by biting down on it and catching out of the air.

"That's… impo-"

Swinging his legs, hips and torso, he threw the sword right back, with his neck.

The Dragonslayer spun wildly in the air, and Lily barely had time to duck to avoid being cut in half.

With a terrifying whistling sound as it cut through the air, the sword crashed right into one of the school buildings, which were empty at this time of night. That was all for the better, since it ended up going right through the entire ground floor, through all the support pillars in its way, causing the whole structure to collapse.

"What in the hell…"

"You interrupted our duel, wild one," said the Grimm, looking Lily in the eyes.

"LILY, GET OUT OF HERE, NOW" shouted Jaune.

He got to his feet, ignoring the pain, and took a step towards Behemoth.

Before he could do anything more, multiple reports rang out.

Sniper round. Submachine gun fire. Shotgun blasts. A grenade, which exploded right against Behemoth's chest. And finally, a blast of freezing energy from a glyph, coating him.

Teams RWBY and NPR and arrived.

"Jaune! Are you okay?" shouted Weiss.

"No, no, no, get out of here now, get help!"

"What? He's frozen, it's ok…"

Weiss began to walk towards Jaune.

"No, you don't understand, he's…"

Through the smoke and vapours, two eyes glowed red.

"_You dare… interrupt our duel?"_

The ground shook. Once.

The cloud of dust and smoke was blown away in a flash.

Behemoth was on one knee on the ground, his fist driven right into it.

A crack expanded outward from that point.

It spread rapidly, quickly reaching teams RWBY and JNPR, who moved out of the way, just in time, even the very earth split in half, a widening chasm growing between the newly created halves.

Tremors rocked both halves, and all across the grounds, trees came down. Alarms went off. Glass was shattered.

The punch had split the entire Beacon campus in half.

"What in the blue hell…" hissed Yang.

"He… broke Beacon?" wailed Ruby.

The rest of them were speechless, Jaune included.

_Ridiculous… does his strength have no limits?_

"_Alert. All personnel, arm yourselves and deploy." _

The announcement was loud and clear, and within seconds, the shattered grounds were covered in Beacon students and teachers, all carrying their Hunter Arms, in ranged form, trained on the lone Grimm.

"STAY BACK!" shouted Jaune.

In truth, even he didn't know why he said that: to prevent Hunters from dying pointlessly, or because this Grimm with honour needed to be fought fairly.  
"Souther, don't space out!"

From above, Ozpin attacked.

He descended with a cane strike on the Grimm, who effortlessly blocked with a forearm and seamlessly transitioned into an overhead backflip kick, which Ozpin went with, flipping through the air to land next to Jaune.

"What kind of monster is this?" said Goodwitch.

"She succeeded," said Jaune. He had seen the signs long back, when he had met intelligent Grimm during the Initiation. Behemoth must be what Salem had been trying to achieve: an evolved form of Grimm that possessed not only incredible power, but also the intelligence and fighting skill to match.

Ozpin's eyes widened.

"This creature… can you defeat it?"

"_Him._ And I'm not sure. If I used my Semblance, I might be able to do it…"

Ozpin looked at him a second longer, then turned to Glynda.

"We need to evacuate. Have we gotten Amber out of here yet?"

"Affirmative. We moved her out once the alarm sounded."

"Good. Get everyone else out. Souther and I will handle the rest here."

Glynda gave the signal, and Beacon's students and teachers began to evacuate.

However, a few remained behind.

"RWBY! JNPR! What are you doing? Evacuate! Now!" she shouted.

"But Jaune's still here! He can't fight that thing alone!"

Meanwhile, Ozpin shouted too.

"Souther! Don't be distracted! We need to stop him, here!"

Jaune nodded.

There was nothing else to be done but go all out. He activated his Semblance.

_**Will of the Aura King.**_****

Reaching out with his power, he touched Behemoth's Aura, his Ki, and attempted to draw it out of him, into himself, which would drain the Grimm of his strength.

Almost immediately, the massive being dropped to one knee.

"Urghh… curses. What are you… doing to me?"

Ozpin gave him no time to ask further questions. Summoning magic to increase his power output, he charged right at him, and blasted him with emerald energy, right into the Beacon tower.

Glynda followed. She had figured out what his plan must be, and so did Jaune, who needed to stay in range in order to continue to weaken him.

On the ground floor of the tower, Ozpin fired a blast of energy downwards, causing the the room to collapse, which dropped Behemoth a hundred feet below, into the reinforced basement where Amber had been kept on life support.

"Now!" shouted Ozpin. Glynda used her telekinesis to repair the floor. She then proceeded to cut the wires to the lift.

Her expression became strained. What she was attempting now was the most difficult feat she had ever tried.

The sound of screeching metal was heard. And soon enough, the tower _dropped_ into the ground, embedding itself partially.

She had collapsed the support beams on the lowest level, causing the rest of the tower to drop down on to it, since there was nothing to hold it up anymore.

Utterly spent, she breathed hard.

Ozpin himself looked wary, but straightened up.

"This victory… came at a price."

"No…" said Jaune.

Growing horror engulfed him.

Around midway through, the Grimm had started to _resist_ his Semblance.

He had managed to steal half his Aura, but no more.

And Jaune could sense the other half.

Behemoth was still alive… and _pissed._

"No… way…"

Teams RWBY and NPR were still watching, and it seemed to them, _the tower was rising up._

"No way…" said Nora.

But it was true.

Jaune, who could see clearly by sensing Ki, could observe everything as if visually.

Down below, Behemoth had not only held up the entire weight of the Beacon tower, but was now lifting it up as he rose from one knee, to standing tall on both feet.

Jaune desperately pulled with all his might, trying to tear away his Aura, drain him, so that he'd collapse under the weight.

But even at half his strength, the Grimm held firm.

And then, to Jaune's utter shock, he _started to take his Aura back_.

"Impossible…"

Jaune could sense him.

Below the earth, he had transitioned to holding up the tower with _one arm._

The other was wound down and back, fist clenched, in preparation to punch upwards.

His Aura began to flare. The massive energy that had been almost immobile before, came alive now.

"Run," was all Jaune said.

"Souther, what…"

"RUN!"

With no further arguments, everyone in range sprinted dashed, or flew away as fast as they could.

When they were around five hundred metres from the tower, Jaune heard a voice, from below the earth.

"_**Shin Shoryuken!"**_****

The tower was split up the centre, crumbling into thousands of tons of rubble that rained down on the ground, as a single figure ascended upwards, arm held outstretched above him, fist clenched.

Behemoth had destroyed the Beacon tower with a rising dragon uppercut.

Glowing red Aura surrounded him, as he ascended like a meteor into the sky, before ultimately dissipating as he landed on the ground, amongst the wreckage of the tower.

"No. Frigging. Way", said Yang. "How can anything have that sort of power…"

The rest of the crew couldn't bring themselves to speak.

Before they could, Behemoth covered the distance separating them.

Jaune, tired as he was, couldn't react as the Grimm reached out and grabbed Weiss by the throat.

"This one... Has your scent all over her, Godfist. I am not satisfied with our duel today."

"No, stop!"

Behemoth's arm flashed red with some kind of pattern for a moment, and a glowing red brand appeared on Weiss's chest.

He released his grip, and she fell to the ground, gasping for air.

"You asshole! What did you do to her?"

"Nothing… yet. That brand… it means that in fifty days, she will die. Don't worry, it will be painless."

"You BASTARD!"

"Patience, Godfist. There is a way to save her. Come find me, and fight me. Fair and square this time. If I die, the seal disappears, and she lives."

With that, Behemoth took to the skies with a massive leap, leaving behind the ruins of Beacon Academy, and a Godfist in turmoil. 


End file.
